JP2024054988A - VIDEO DISPLAY SYSTEM AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH VIDEO DISPLAY SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a video display system and vehicle technology that eliminates the difficulty in viewing content when the driver reclines the driver's seat toward the rear seat.
[Solution] A video display system installed in a vehicle in which the driver's seat can be tilted backwards, comprising: an video display device that displays content; and a position adjustment device having one end connected to the dashboard of the vehicle or the side of the dashboard opposite the passenger compartment and the other end connected to the video display device, the position adjustment device being capable of displacing the video display device in the fore-and-aft and up-and-down directions of the vehicle, and the position adjustment device being configured so that the video display device can be displaced up to above the driver's seat when tilted backwards.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

This disclosure relates to a video display system and a vehicle equipped with the video display system.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which an actuator connected to a steering device equipped with a display moves the steering device toward the dashboard. According to the technology of Patent Document 1, after the steering device is moved toward the dashboard, the driver can use the space around the driver's seat widely.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2020/023882

When the vehicle is autonomously driving, the driver can recline the driver's seat towards the rear seat, allowing the driver to enjoy the content in a comfortable position. However, with the technology of Patent Document 1, when the driver reclines the driver's seat towards the rear seat, the monitor installed on the steering device becomes farther away from the driver than before the driver's seat was reclined, making it difficult for the driver to see the content displayed on the monitor.

This disclosure can be realized in the following forms:

(1) According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an image display system arranged in a vehicle in which the driver's seat can be tilted backward. The image display system includes an image display device that displays content, and a position adjustment device that has one end connected to the dashboard of the vehicle or the side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment and the other end connected to the image display device, and that can displace the image display device in the front-rear and up-down directions of the vehicle, and is configured to displace the image display device to above the driver's seat that has been tilted backward. According to the image display system of this embodiment, when the driver reclines the seat toward the rear seat, the position adjustment device can move the position of the image display device to above the driver. This can eliminate the difficulty in viewing the content displayed on the image display device when the driver reclines the seat toward the rear seat, as compared to an embodiment without the position adjustment device.
(2) The image display device according to the above aspect may further include a displacement control unit that controls the displacement of the image display device by the position adjustment device.
(3) In the image display device of the above aspect, an image acquisition unit for acquiring an image of a predetermined range including the driver's seat, and a face position detection unit for detecting a position of a driver's face based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit may be provided, and the displacement control unit may displace the image display device so as to face the face of the driver based on the position of the driver's face detected by the face position detection unit. According to the image display system of this aspect, when the driver changes his/her posture, the driver can view the image displayed on the image display device in an easy-to-view state without having to manually change the position of the image display device.
(4) In the image display device of the above aspect, an acceleration sensor may be further provided for detecting an acceleration of the image display device, and the displacement control unit may control the image display device to reduce the displacement based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor. According to the image display system of this aspect, it is possible to eliminate the difficulty in viewing the image display device when the image display device moves significantly.
(5) The image display device of the above aspect may further include a driving state acquisition unit that acquires a signal indicating a driving state of the vehicle, and the displacement control unit may control the image display device so as not to be positioned on a line connecting a headrest position assumed when the driver is driving the vehicle and a specific portion of the windshield of the vehicle when the driving state acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle should be driven by the driver. According to the image display device of this aspect, when the vehicle should be driven by the driver, the image display device can be positioned so that the image display device is not within the driver's field of vision.
(6) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle including the image display system of the above aspect. The vehicle includes an accommodation space that is a space capable of accommodating the image display device and the position adjustment device on the opposite side of the dashboard from the passenger compartment, and the position adjustment device is configured such that the image display device and the position adjustment device are accommodated in the accommodation space by the position adjustment device being deformed, and one end of the position adjustment device is disposed within the accommodation space. According to the vehicle of this aspect, when the driver is not viewing the content, the image display device and the position adjustment device are accommodated in the accommodation space, thereby making it possible to increase the space around the driver's seat.
(7) In the vehicle of the above aspect, a steering storage space may be provided on the side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment, and the steering storage space may be configured to store a steering device when the vehicle is in an autonomous driving state. According to the vehicle of this aspect, the steering device is stored in the storage space while the vehicle is in an autonomous driving state, thereby making it possible to increase the space around the driver's seat.
(8) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle including the image display system of the above aspect. The vehicle further includes a scenery acquisition unit that acquires an image of the direction in which the vehicle is traveling, and the image display device can display the image acquired by the scenery acquisition unit. According to the vehicle of this aspect, for example, when the driver tilts the backrest of the driver's seat toward the rear seat, the driver can see an image of the direction in which the vehicle is traveling.
(9) In the vehicle of the above aspect, the image display system includes a driving state acquisition unit that acquires a signal indicating a driving state of the vehicle, and the image display device displays the image acquired by the scenery acquisition unit for a predetermined time after the driving state acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the driver should drive the vehicle. According to the vehicle of this aspect, when the driver has reclined the driver's seat toward the rear seat and the driver should drive the vehicle, an image of the direction in which the vehicle will travel is displayed for a predetermined time, so that the driver can check the situation in the direction in which the vehicle will travel until he or she starts driving the vehicle.

1 is a diagram illustrating a video display system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A diagram showing the driver's seat back tilted toward the rear seat. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a video processing unit, a system processing unit, and a vehicle processing unit. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating an example of displacement of a position adjustment device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the image display device displaced from the state shown in FIG. 4 . FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the vehicle is being driven by a driver. 13 is a diagram showing an image acquired by a scene acquisition unit being displayed on an image display device. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration in which a video display device, a position adjustment device, and a steering device are housed.

A. This embodiment:
A1. Description of the vehicle of this embodiment:
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an image display system 40 of this embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the driver's seat DRS is slid toward the rear seat by the driver DR. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the backrest of the driver's seat DRS is tilted toward the rear seat. In FIG. 2, the positions of the driver DR and the driver's seat DRS when the vehicle 1 is driven by the driver DR are shown by dashed lines. In the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the driver's seat DRS can be tilted backward by the driver DR. "The driver's seat DRS can be tilted backward by the driver DR" means either or both of the driver's seat DRS being slid toward the rear seat by the driver DR as in FIG. 1 and the backrest of the driver's seat DRS being tilted toward the rear seat by the driver DR as in FIG. 2.

In this embodiment, the vehicle 1 is capable of autonomous driving. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 includes a dashboard 10, a steering device 20, a scenery acquisition unit 30, an image display system 40, an accommodation space SP, and a vehicle processing unit 50. The steering device 20, the scenery acquisition unit 30, the image display system 40, and the vehicle processing unit 50 are electrically connected to each other and can transmit and receive signals.

A2. Description of the dashboard 10, the steering device 20, the scenery acquisition unit 30, and the vehicle processing unit 50:
The dashboard 10, the steering device 20, the scenery acquisition unit 30, and the vehicle processing unit 50 will be described below. The image display system 40 and the accommodation space SP will be described separately. As shown in FIG. 2, the dashboard 10 is a plate-shaped member that separates the front FR of the vehicle 1 from the passenger compartment CA. The dashboard 10 includes a first plate portion 11 and a second plate portion 12. The first plate portion 11 is a vertically upper portion of the dashboard 10. The first plate portion 11 extends from the second plate portion 12 side toward the windshield FW. One end portion 11a of the first plate portion 11 is connected to an end portion of the windshield FW. The second plate portion 12 is a vertically lower portion of the dashboard 10. The second plate portion 12 is connected to an end portion 11b of the first plate portion 11 on the opposite side to the end portion 11a connected to the windshield FW. The second plate portion 12 includes an accommodation opening 12a shown in FIG. 1 and an opening lid portion 12b (not shown).

The storage opening 12a is an opening that connects the vehicle interior CA and the storage space SP. The opening lid portion 12b can be moved under the control of the vehicle processing unit 50. Specifically, the opening lid portion 12b is positioned to overlap the storage opening 12a under the control of the vehicle processing unit 50, thereby closing the storage opening 12a. When the storage opening 12a is not closed, the opening lid portion 12b is positioned around the storage space SP under the control of the vehicle processing unit 50. The movement of the opening lid portion 12b will be described later. Although not shown, in FIG. 1, the opening lid portion 12b is positioned around the storage space SP.

The steering device 20 is a device for enabling the driver DR to steer the vehicle 1. The steering device 20 is configured to be tiltable toward the front FR side of the vehicle 1. The tilt of the steering device 20 will be described later. As shown in FIG. 2, a portion of the steering device 20 is arranged in the accommodation space SP. Specifically, the steering device 20 has a portion 20a that is held by the driver DR arranged in the passenger compartment, and a portion of the other portion 20b arranged in the accommodation space SP. The portion 20b of the steering device is configured to be expandable and contractible. The steering device 20 can be accommodated in the accommodation space SP. The accommodation of the steering device 20 will be described later. As shown in FIG. 1, the steering device 20 of this embodiment has a substantially ring shape.

The scenery acquisition unit 30 shown in FIG. 2 acquires an image of the direction in which the vehicle 1 is traveling. The scenery acquisition unit 30 is a camera mounted on the vehicle 1.

Figure 3 is a block diagram explaining the video processing unit 415, the system processing unit 43, and the vehicle processing unit 50. The video processing unit 415, the system processing unit 43, and the vehicle processing unit 50 are electrically connected to each other and are capable of transmitting and receiving signals. The video processing unit 415 and the system processing unit 43 will be described later. The vehicle processing unit 50 is composed of a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The vehicle processing unit 50 executes the processing of the vehicle processing unit 50 by expanding a program stored in the ROM onto the RAM and executing it with the CPU.

A3. Description of the image display system 40:
The video display system 40 will be described. The video display system 40 shown in Fig. 1 is used in a vehicle when a driver DR or a person in the vehicle (not shown) watches content such as videos and SNS. The video display system 40 includes a video display device 41, a position adjustment device 42, and a system processing unit 43. The system processing unit 43 is not shown in Fig. 1. The video display device 41, the position adjustment device 42, and the system processing unit 43 are electrically connected to each other.

The image display device 41 displays content such as videos, SNS, and maps. The image display device 41 acquires content from a wireless network external to the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the image display device 41 is a tablet terminal equipped with a touch sensor. The image display device 41 is equipped with an image acquisition unit 411, an audio acquisition unit 412, an audio generation unit 413, an acceleration sensor 414, and an image processing unit 415. The acceleration sensor 414 and the image processing unit 415 are not shown in FIG. 1.

The image acquisition unit 411 acquires images of the inside of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the image acquisition unit 411 can acquire images of a predetermined range including the driver's seat DRS when the image display device 41 is in an initial position, which is the position of the image display device 41 when the vehicle 1 is driven by the driver DR. The predetermined range in this embodiment refers to a range including the driver's seat DRS and the upper body of the driver DR sitting in the driver's seat DRS. The images acquired by the image acquisition unit 411 are used when the image display device 41 is displaced by the displacement control unit 434, which will be described later. The displacement of the image display device 41 by the displacement control unit 434 will be described in detail later.

The image acquired by the image acquisition unit 411 is used by the vehicle processing unit 50 when monitoring the condition of the driver DR. "Monitoring the condition of the driver DR" refers to monitoring the physical condition of the driver DR, whether he is looking away from the vehicle, whether he is falling asleep, etc. By providing the image acquisition unit 411 in the image display device 41, costs can be reduced compared to a configuration in which a separate device for monitoring the driver DR is provided inside the vehicle. In this embodiment, a camera built into the image display device 41 is used as the image acquisition unit 411.

The voice acquisition unit 412 acquires the voice of the driver DR. The voice acquisition unit 412 has different sensitivity for acquiring voice depending on the direction. The voice acquisition unit 412 can acquire voice emitted from the direction of the driver DR with better sensitivity compared to sounds emitted from directions other than the direction of the driver DR. In this embodiment, the voice acquisition unit 412 is a microphone built into the image display device 41.

The audio generating unit 413 generates audio to notify the driver DR. For example, the audio generating unit 413 generates audio for navigation to the destination, audio for video content, etc. When the driving of the vehicle 1 should be changed from automatic driving to the operation of the driver DR, the audio generating unit 413 notifies the driver DR by audio that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR before a display is displayed by the display control unit 415a described later. The audio generating unit 413 is a speaker built into the video display device 41.

The acceleration sensor 414 detects the acceleration of the image display device 41. The acceleration sensor 414 transmits a signal representing the detected acceleration to the system processing unit 43. In this embodiment, the acceleration sensor 414 is a three-axis acceleration sensor capable of detecting the acceleration applied in the forward/backward, upward/downward, and left/right directions of the image display device 41, as well as the acceleration applied during rotation. The acceleration sensor 414 is built into the image display device 41.

The video processing unit 415 shown in FIG. 3 is composed of a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The video processing unit 415 executes the processing of the video display device 41 by expanding a program stored in the ROM onto the RAM and executing it with the CPU. In this embodiment, the video processing unit 415 functions as a display control unit 415a and a voice recognition unit 415b.

The display control unit 415a controls the display of the images displayed on the image display device 41. The display control unit 415a displays or hides content such as videos, SNS, and maps on the display of the image display device 41.

In this embodiment, when content is displayed on the video display device 41, if the display control unit 415a acquires a signal from the driving state acquisition unit 432 (described later) indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR, the display control unit 415a hides the content. In this embodiment, a time when the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR refers to, for example, a time when the vehicle is shifted from automatic driving to driving operated by the driver DR in order to enter a road on which automatic driving is not possible.

As described later, the display or non-display of content is possible by the driver DR operating the touch panel or by voice instructions. In this embodiment, when the vehicle 1 is being driven by the driver DR, the display control unit 415a controls the image display device 41 so that content other than that determined to be necessary by the vehicle processing unit 50, such as a map or a speedometer, is not displayed, regardless of the driver DR's touch panel operation or voice instructions. When the vehicle 1 transitions to an automatic driving or stopped state, the display control unit 415a, which has received a signal indicating that the vehicle 1 is in an automatic driving or stopped state from the driving state acquisition unit, displays content such as videos and SNS. In this case, the driver DR can hide the content by operating the touch panel or by voice instructions.

When the display control unit 415a receives a signal from the driving state acquisition unit 432 indicating that the driving of the vehicle 1 should be changed from automatic driving to driving by the driver DR, the display control unit 415a displays a message indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR. The display control unit 415a also displays the video acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30. The circumstances under which the scenery acquisition unit 30 is displayed will be described later. The display control unit 415a can display, hide, or change content in response to notifications from the voice recognition unit 415b.

The voice recognition unit 415b recognizes the voice of the driver DR acquired by the voice acquisition unit 412 and reads the driver DR's instructions. In this embodiment, the driver DR's instructions include "change the content displayed on the video display device 41" and "adjust the position of the video display device 41." Based on the driver DR's instructions, the voice recognition unit 415b notifies the display control unit 415a of the change in the content displayed on the video display device 41. Based on the read instructions, the voice recognition unit 415b also transmits a signal to the system processing unit 43 to adjust the position of the video display device 41.

Although not shown in the figure, the driver DR can touch the image displayed on the display of the image display device 41 to input to the image processing unit 415 to display or hide content, adjust the position adjustment device 42, and store the image display device 41, position adjustment device 42, and steering device 20 in the storage space SP described below.

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the displacement of the position adjustment device 42. In Figure 4, the steering device 20 is accommodated in the accommodation space SP. The position adjustment device 42 is a device capable of displacing the image display device 41 in the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction of the vehicle 1. The position adjustment device 42 is configured to be able to displace the image display device 41 up to above the driver's seat DRS that has been tilted backward by the driver DR. Above the driver's seat DRS means above the part of the driver's seat DRS where the driver DR sits. The displacement will be described later. The position adjustment device 42 is configured such that the image display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 are accommodated in the accommodation space SP by the deformation of the position adjustment device 42. Accommodation in the accommodation space SP will be described later.

In this embodiment, the position adjustment device 42 is deformed by being controlled by a displacement control unit 434 described later, and displaces the image display device 41. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the position adjustment device 42 has a deformable rod shape, and the arm can be bent and stretched by a joint provided at each part. One end of the position adjustment device 42 is connected to a connection part of the front FR of the vehicle 1 (not shown) on the side opposite the passenger compartment CA with respect to the dashboard 10. The other end of the position adjustment device 42 is connected to the image display device 41. The position adjustment device 42 has a first arm 421, a first joint 422, a second arm 423, a second joint 424, a third arm 425, a third joint 426, a fourth arm 427, and a fourth joint 428.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing the image display device 41 displaced from the state shown in Figure 4. The first arm 421 is connected to the image display device 41. In this embodiment, the first arm 421 is connected to the image display device 41 at one end via a connection part (not shown) for adjusting the angle. This allows the position adjustment device 42 to tilt the image display device 41 so that the image display device 41 forms an angle with respect to the vertical direction. The first joint part 422 connects the other end of the first arm part 421 to the second arm part 423. The first joint part 422 is a ball joint that can displace the first arm part 421 by bending the first arm part 421 in the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction of the vehicle 1. Figure 5 shows the state in which the first joint part 422 is extended so that the first arm part 421 is disposed rearward of the vehicle 1 compared to the state shown in Figure 4. By bending the first arm 421, the image display device 41 connected to the first arm 421 is displaced toward the rear of the vehicle 1.

The second arm 423 is connected to the first arm 421 via the first joint 422. The second arm 423 is connected to the third arm 425 via the second joint 424. The second joint 424 connects the second arm 423 to the third arm 425. The second joint 424 is a ball joint that can displace the second arm 423 in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction of the vehicle 1 by bending the second arm 423 in the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction of the vehicle 1. In FIG. 5, the second joint 424 shows a state in which the joint is extended so that the second arm 423 is disposed rearward of the vehicle 1 compared to the state in FIG. 4. By displacing the second arm 423, the image display device 41 connected to the first arm 421 connected to the second arm 423 via the first joint 422 is displaced rearward of the vehicle 1.

The third arm 425 is connected to the fourth arm 427 via the third joint 426. The third joint 426 is a ball joint that allows the third arm 425 to bend in the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions of the vehicle 1. By displacing the third arm 425, the image display device 41 that is connected to the third arm 425 via the first joint 422 and the second joint 424 can be displaced.

The fourth arm 427 is connected to a fourth joint 428. The fourth joint 428 is connected to a connection part of the front FR of the vehicle 1 (not shown) on the side opposite the passenger compartment CA with respect to the dashboard 10. This fixes the position adjustment device 42 to the vehicle 1. The fourth joint 428 is a ball joint that can displace the fourth arm 427 by bending the fourth arm 427 in the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction of the vehicle 1. Note that in this embodiment, the inclination of the steering device 20 and the position of the position adjustment device 42 are adjusted so that the steering device 20 and the position of the position adjustment device 42 do not come into contact with each other.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the vehicle 1 is being driven by the driver DR. The image display device 41 in Figure 6 is not displaced by the position adjustment device 42. For example, in a mode in which the position adjustment device 42 is not present and the image display device 41 is always disposed at the position shown in Figure 6, it is considered that when the driver DR reclines the seat toward the rear seat, the image display device 41 may become difficult to see from the driver DR. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, when the driver DR reclines the seat toward the rear seat, the position adjustment device 42 can move the position of the image display device 41 to above the driver DR. This can eliminate the difficulty in seeing the content displayed on the image display device 41 when the driver DR reclines the seat toward the rear seat, compared to a mode in which the position adjustment device 42 is not present. In addition, the position of the image display device 41 can be finely adjusted to a position that is easy for the driver DR to see, such that the image display device 41 is displaced from the position in Figure 4 to the position in Figure 5.

In a configuration without the position adjustment device 42, the driver DR must look down to see the image display device 41. In this case, there is a possibility that the driver DR will get car sick. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the image display device 41 can be displaced to a position where the driver DR can easily see the image display device 41, thereby reducing the possibility that the driver DR will get car sick.

When the driver DR has the driver's seat DRS reclined toward the rear seat and wants to touch the display of the image display device 41, if the position adjustment device 42 is not present, it may be difficult for the driver DR to reach the display. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the image display device 41 can be displaced to a position where the driver DR can easily touch the image display device 41, making it easier to operate the image display device 41.

Compared to holding the device that displays the video in one's hand, this embodiment can reduce fatigue for the driver DR. Also, since the display can be made larger, content can be enjoyed on a larger screen compared to holding the device that displays the video in one's hand. Furthermore, compared to an embodiment that does not have the video display device 41, this embodiment can make the screen easier to see for people in the vehicle other than the driver when looking at the video display device 41.

The system processing unit 43 shown in FIG. 3 is composed of a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The system processing unit 43 executes the processing of the video display system 40 by expanding a program stored in the ROM onto the RAM and executing it with the CPU. The system processing unit 43 functions as a face position detection unit 431, a driving state acquisition unit 432, a scenery data receiving unit 433, and a displacement control unit 434.

The face position detection unit 431 detects the position of the driver DR's face based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 411. The face position detection unit 431 first detects the face of the driver DR from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 411. In this embodiment, the face position detection unit 431 detects the driver DR's iris from the face of the driver DR. Next, the face position detection unit 431 detects the position of the detected iris of the driver DR on the screen of the display of the image display device 41. The face position detection unit 431 notifies the displacement control unit 434 of the detected face position. Note that, in this embodiment, the face position detection unit 431 notifies the displacement control unit 434 of the detected face position when the position of the iris of the driver DR is in the same position for a predetermined time. Being in the same position includes a case where the position of the iris moves by several millimeters. Note that the face position detection unit 431 may detect the position of the driver DR's nose or lips. The parts to be detected by the face position detection unit 431 are input in advance to the system processing unit 43 by the user.

The driving state acquisition unit 432 acquires the driving state of the vehicle 1 from the vehicle processing unit 50. The driving state of the vehicle 1 refers to a state in which the vehicle 1 is driving automatically, a state in which the vehicle 1 is driven by the driver DR, a state in which the vehicle 1 is stopped, a state in which the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR, and the like. The driving state acquisition unit 432 transmits a signal to the display control unit 415a according to the acquired driving state of the vehicle 1. In addition, the driving state acquisition unit 432 notifies the displacement control unit 434 according to the acquired driving state of the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, when the driving state acquisition unit 432 acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR from the vehicle processing unit 50, it notifies the scenery data receiving unit 433 accordingly.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing the image acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30 being displayed on the image display device 41. Note that the vehicle 1 is illustrated simply in Figure 7. The scenery data receiving unit 433 shown in Figure 3 receives data of the image of the direction in which the vehicle 1 is traveling, acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30, from the scenery acquisition unit 30. The scenery data receiving unit 433 notifies the display control unit 415a to display the image acquired by the scenery data receiving unit 433 in response to an operation by the driver DR touching the display or an instruction by the driver DR through voice. For example, when the driver DR tilts the backrest of the driver's seat DRS toward the rear seat, the driver DR can touch and operate the display to view the image of the direction in which the vehicle 1 is traveling.

In addition, in this embodiment, the scenery data receiving unit 433 notifies the display control unit 415a to display the image acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30 for a predetermined time after the driving state acquisition unit 432 acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR. Specifically, first, the scenery data receiving unit 433 receives a notification from the driving state acquisition unit 432 that a signal indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR has been acquired. The scenery data receiving unit 433 notifies the display control unit 415a of the same. As a result, the display control unit 415a displays the image acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30. For example, when the driver DR reclines the driver's seat DRS to the rear seat side, an image of the direction in which the vehicle 1 travels is displayed for a predetermined time, so that the driver DR can check the situation in the direction in which the vehicle 1 travels until he or she drives the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the predetermined time is the time required for the driver DR to raise the reclined rear seat, and is input in advance by the user into the system processing unit 43.

As shown in the display NC in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, when a signal is received from the driving state acquisition unit 432 that the driving of the vehicle 1 should be changed from automatic driving to the operation of the driver DR, the image acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30 is displayed and a message is displayed indicating that the driver DR should drive the vehicle 1.

The displacement control unit 434 shown in FIG. 3 controls the displacement of the image display device 41. Specifically, the displacement control unit 434 displaces the image display device 41 connected to the position adjustment device 42 by deforming the position adjustment device 42. The displacement of the image display device 41 due to the deformation of the position adjustment device 42 is as described above. In this embodiment, when the driving of the vehicle 1 changes from automatic driving to driving by the driver DR's operation, the displacement control unit 434 displaces the image display device 41 to a position when driving by the driver DR's operation, as shown in FIG. 2. In addition, when the driving of the vehicle 1 changes from driving by the driver DR's operation to automatic driving, the displacement control unit 434 can displace the image display device 41 based on the position of the driver DR's face detected by the face position detection unit 431. Thereafter, the position of the image display device 41 can be adjusted by the driver DR's operation or voice instruction.

In this embodiment, the displacement control unit 434 can displace the image display device 41 so that the display surface of the image display device 41 on which the image is displayed faces the face of the driver DR based on the position of the face detected by the face position detection unit 431. Specifically, first, when the image display device 41 is in the initial position, the image acquisition unit 411 acquires an image of a predetermined range including the driver's seat DRS. Then, the face position detection unit 431 detects the face of the driver DR, and the displacement control unit 434 displaces the image display device 41 so that it faces the face of the driver DR based on the detected face position. This allows the driver DR to view the image displayed on the image display device 41 in an easy-to-view state without manually changing the position of the image display device 41 when the driver DR changes his/her posture. Thereafter, the face position detection unit 431 detects the position of the face from the image of the driver DR acquired by the image acquisition unit 411. Then, the displacement control unit 434 displaces the image display device 41 so that it faces the face of the driver DR.

In addition, in this embodiment, if the face position detection unit 431 detects that the position of the driver DR's pupils remains in the same position for a predetermined period of time, the displacement control unit 434 displaces the image display device 41. This makes it possible to prevent the image display device 41 from being displaced, for example, when the driver DR merely moves his face slightly to the left or right. In other words, it is possible to prevent displacement of the image display device 41 that is not desired by the driver DR.

The displacement control unit 434 also adjusts the position adjustment device 42 based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 414, thereby controlling the displacement of the image display device 41 to be reduced. When the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 414 is greater than a predetermined value, the displacement control unit 434 adjusts the position adjustment device 42 to reduce the displacement of the image display device 41.

For example, when the acceleration sensor 414 detects that the acceleration in the rear direction of the vehicle 1 is greater than a predetermined value, the displacement control unit 434 controls the first joint unit 422 so that the first arm unit 421 of the position adjustment device 42 is displaced toward the front direction of the vehicle 1. Also, when the acceleration sensor 414 detects that the acceleration in the right direction as seen by the driver DR is greater than a predetermined value, the displacement control unit 434 controls the second joint unit 424 of the position adjustment device 42 so that the second arm unit 423 of the position adjustment device 42 is displaced toward the left direction from the driver DR. This makes it possible to eliminate the difficulty that the driver DR has in viewing the image display device 41 when the image display device 41 moves significantly.

Furthermore, the displacement control unit 434 adjusts the displacement of the image display system 40 based on the instruction read by the voice recognition unit 415b. For example, when the driver DR issues an instruction to "move the image display device 41 forward," the displacement control unit 434 can displace the image display device 41 by deforming the position adjustment device 42 so as to displace it forward of the vehicle 1. This allows the driver DR to adjust the position of the image display device 41 without having to move the position adjustment device 42 by hand.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the driving state acquisition unit 432 acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR, the displacement control unit 434 controls the image display device 41 not to be positioned on a line OL connecting the headrest assumed position HD, which is the position of the headrest assumed when the driver DR is driving the vehicle 1, and a specific part of the windshield FW of the vehicle 1.

The headrest assumed position HD is stored in advance in the system processing unit 43. The specific part of the windshield FW of the vehicle 1 is determined in advance by the user, and in this embodiment, it is the part FW1 located in the line of sight of the driver DR when driving the vehicle 1. By not positioning the image display device 41 on the line OL connecting the headrest assumed position HD and the specific part FW1 of the windshield FW of the vehicle 1, the system processing unit 43 can position the image display device 41 so that it is not in the field of view of the driver DR when the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR.

A4. Description of Storage Space SP:
The storage space SP will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram in which the image display device 41, the position adjustment device 42, and the steering device 20 are stored. The storage space SP is a space capable of storing the image display device 41, the position adjustment device 42, and the steering device 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the storage space SP is configured on the opposite side of the dashboard 10 from the vehicle interior CA. Specifically, the storage space SP is configured between the front FR of the vehicle 1 and the dashboard 10. As shown in FIG. 8, the storage space SP is capable of storing the image display device 41, the position adjustment device 42, and the steering device 20 together. The storage space SP is capable of storing the steering device 20 in the storage space SP simultaneously or at different times with the image display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 through the storage opening 12a.

The accommodation of the steering device 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. Although not shown in the figure, first, the vehicle processing unit 50 causes the steering device 20 to be tilted toward the front of the vehicle 1. After the vehicle 1 is tilted toward the front, the vehicle processing unit 50 shortens the portion 20b of the steering device 20, so that the steering device 20 moves to the front FR side of the vehicle 1. Then, the entire steering device 20 is accommodated in the accommodation space SP. At this time, the displacement control unit 434 controls the image display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 so that the steering device 20 does not come into contact with the steering device 20. During the automatic driving of the vehicle 1, the steering device 20 is accommodated in the accommodation space SP, so that the space near the driver's seat DRS can be made wider. In addition, the driver DR can enjoy the content without being concerned about the presence of the steering device 20.

Using FIG. 8, the accommodation of the image display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 will be described. First, as described above, the steering device 20 is accommodated in the accommodation space SP. Although not shown, at that time, the first arm 421, the second arm 423, the third arm 425, and the fourth arm 427 are folded so as to overlap each other by the displacement control unit 434. In FIG. 8, the reference numerals of the first arm 421 to the fourth arm 427 are omitted. At the same time, the displacement control unit 434 displaces the image display device 41 so that the display surface of the image display device 41 is parallel to the horizontal plane. Then, the displacement control unit 434 accommodates the image display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 in the accommodation space SP. As shown in FIG. 8, the fourth joint unit 428, which is one end of the position adjustment device 42, is arranged in the accommodation space SP. When the driver DR is not viewing the content, the image display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 are accommodated in the accommodation space SP, thereby making it possible to increase the space around the driver's seat DRS. When the image display device 41, the position adjustment device 42, and the steering device 20 are accommodated in the accommodation space SP, the accommodation opening 12a is closed by the opening lid portion 12b controlled by the system control unit. Figure 8 shows the state in which the opening lid portion 12b is in the process of closing the accommodation opening 12a.

Although not shown in the figure, it is also possible for the image display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42 to be housed in the housing space SP, and for the steering device 20 not to be housed. In this case, the driver DR can drive without being concerned about the presence of the image display device 41 and the position adjustment device 42.

B. Other embodiments:
B1. Other embodiment 1:
(1) In the above embodiment, one end of the position adjustment device 42 is connected to a connection portion of the front FR of the vehicle 1 (not shown) on the opposite side of the vehicle compartment CA with respect to the dashboard 10. Note that one end of the position adjustment device may be connected to the dashboard of the vehicle. Also, the steering device may be connected to the dashboard.

(2) In the above embodiment, the position adjustment device 42 includes a first arm 421, a first joint 422, a second arm 423, a second joint 424, a third arm 425, a third joint 426, a fourth arm 427, and a fourth joint 428. The number of arms and joints of the position adjustment device is not limited to four, and may be a different number, such as two or five. In addition, for example, the position adjustment device may be an elastic member having elasticity. The image display device may be displaced by displacing the elastic member in the front-rear and up-down directions of the vehicle.

(3) In the above embodiment, the first arm 421, the second arm 423, the third arm 425, and the fourth arm 427 are folded so as to overlap each other by the displacement control unit 434, and the position adjustment device 42 and the image display device 41 are accommodated in the accommodation space SP. Note that the position adjustment device may have a configuration that allows it to expand and contract, and may be displaced to above the driver's seat that has been tilted backwards by being extended by the displacement control unit or the user, and may be accommodated in the accommodation space by being shortened.

(4) In the above embodiment, the steering device has a generally ring shape. The steering device may have a shape other than a generally ring shape, such as a semicircular shape or a rectangular shape. For example, the steering device may have rod-shaped portions on the left and right, and the driver may operate the vehicle by gripping and moving the rod-shaped portions. In this embodiment, the image display device may be disposed between the rod-shaped portions.

(5) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 1 is capable of autonomous driving. However, the vehicle does not have to be autonomous.

(6) In the above embodiment, the position adjustment device 42 is a device capable of displacing the image display device 41 in the forward/backward direction, the up/down direction, and the left/right direction of the vehicle 1. Note that the position adjustment device may be a device capable of displacing the image display device in the forward/backward direction and the up/down direction of the vehicle.

(7) In the above embodiment, when the vehicle 1 is being driven by the driver DR, the display control unit 415a controls the video display device 41 so that it does not display any content other than the content that the vehicle processing unit 50 determines is necessary, such as a map or a speedometer, regardless of the driver DR's touch panel operation or voice instructions. Note that when the vehicle is being driven by the driver, content such as videos and SNS may be displayed in response to the driver's touch panel operation or voice instructions. In addition, the content to be displayed by the display control unit may be determined and input in advance by the user.

(8) In the above embodiment, the image display device 41 was equipped with an audio acquisition unit 412. Note that the image display device does not have to be equipped with an audio acquisition unit.

(9) In the above embodiment, the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 411 is used by the vehicle processing unit 50 when monitoring the condition of the driver DR. Note that, for example, the vehicle may be equipped with an in-vehicle image acquisition unit that acquires images inside the vehicle, and the in-vehicle image acquisition unit may be used when monitoring the driver's condition.

(10) In the above embodiment, the voice acquisition unit 412 acquires the voice of the driver DR. Note that the voice acquisition unit may also acquire the voice of a person inside the vehicle other than the driver. Furthermore, the vehicle may be equipped with an in-vehicle voice acquisition unit for acquiring the voice of a person inside the vehicle other than the driver, and may recognize the voice acquired by the in-vehicle voice acquisition unit and read instructions from the person inside the vehicle.

(11) In the above embodiment, the image display system 40 was equipped with a voice recognition unit 415b. Note that, for example, in a mode in which the driver manually moves the position adjustment device or the image display device, the image display system does not need to be equipped with a voice recognition unit.

B2. Other embodiment 2:
(1) In the above embodiment, the image display system 40 includes the displacement control unit 434. Note that, for example, in a mode in which the driver manually moves the position adjustment device or the image display device, the image display system does not need to include the displacement control unit.

B3. Other embodiment 3:
(1) In the above embodiment, the image display device 41 includes the image acquisition unit 411 built into the image display device 41. Note that, for example, the image display system may include an image acquisition unit that is outside the image display device and electrically connected to the image display device. Also, the number of image acquisition units may be multiple, such as two or three.

(2) In the above embodiment, the image display system 40 was equipped with a face position detection unit 431. Note that the image display system does not have to be equipped with a face position detection unit.

(3) In the above embodiment, the face position detection unit 431 notifies the displacement control unit 434 of the detected face position when the position of the driver DR's pupils remains in the same position for a predetermined time. Note that the face position detection unit may immediately notify the displacement control unit of the detected face position when the detected face position moves.

(4) In the above embodiment, the predetermined range refers to a range that includes the driver's seat DRS and the upper body of the driver DR sitting in the driver's seat DRS. Note that, for example, the predetermined range may refer to a range that includes the driver's seat and the face of the driver sitting in the driver's seat.

B4. Other embodiment 4:
(1) In the above embodiment, the image display system 40 includes the acceleration sensor 414. However, the image display system does not necessarily need to include an acceleration sensor.

B5. Other embodiment 5:
(1) In the above embodiment, when the driving state acquisition unit 432 acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle 1 should be driven by the driver DR, the image display system 40 performs control so as not to position the image display device 41 on a line connecting the position of the headrest assumed when the driver DR drives the vehicle 1 and the specific portion 20b of the windshield FW of the vehicle 1. Note that the displacement control unit does not have to perform control so as not to position the image display device on the line when the driving state acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle should be driven by the driver.

(1) In the above embodiment, the specific portion of the windshield FW of the vehicle 1 is a portion FW1 located in front of the driver DR's line of sight when driving the vehicle 1. The specific portion may be a portion located in front of the driver's forehead or may be the center of the windshield.

B6. Other embodiment 6:
(1) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 1 includes the accommodation space SP. For example, in a mode in which the position adjustment device and the steering device are connected to the dashboard, the vehicle does not need to include the accommodation space.

(2) The storage space may have a wall. In this case, the other end of the position adjustment device and the steering device may be connected to the wall of the storage space.

B7. Other embodiment 7:
(1) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 1 is provided with the storage space SP capable of storing the image display device 41, the position adjustment device 42, and the steering device 20. Note that a steering storage space that is a space different from the storage space SP may be provided on the opposite side of the dashboard to the passenger compartment, and may be configured to store the steering device when the vehicle is in automatic driving mode.

B8. Other embodiment 8:
(1) In the above embodiment, the vehicle 1 is equipped with the scenery acquisition unit 30. However, the vehicle does not have to be equipped with the scenery acquisition unit.

B9. Other embodiment 9:
(1) In the above embodiment, the image display system 40 displayed the image acquired by the scenery acquisition unit 30 for a predetermined time after the driving state acquisition unit 432 acquired a signal indicating that the driver DR should drive the vehicle 1. Note that, for example, the image display system does not need to display the image acquired by the scenery acquisition unit when the driving state acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the driver should drive the vehicle. Note that, for example, in an aspect not including a display control unit, the scenery acquisition unit can cause the image display device to display the image acquired by the scenery acquisition unit.

(2) In this embodiment, the predetermined time is the time required for the driver DR to raise the reclined rear seat, and is input in advance by the user to the system processing unit 43. Note that, for example, the predetermined time may be the time required for the driver to raise the rear seat and grasp the steering device.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the Summary of the Invention column can be replaced or combined as appropriate to solve some or all of the above-described problems or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be deleted as appropriate.

1...vehicle, 10...dashboard, 11...first plate portion, 11a, 11b...end of first plate portion, 12...second plate portion, 12a...accommodation opening, 12b...opening cover portion, 20...steering device, 20a, 20b...portion of steering device, 30...scenery acquisition unit, 40...image display system, 41...image display device, 42...position adjustment device, 43...system processing unit, 50...vehicle processing unit, 411...image acquisition unit, 412...audio acquisition unit, 413...audio generation unit, 414...acceleration sensor, 415...image processing unit, 415a...display control control unit, 415b...voice recognition unit, 421...first arm, 422...first joint, 423...second arm, 424...second joint, 425...third arm, 426...third joint, 427...fourth arm, 428...fourth joint, 431...face position detection unit, 432...driving state acquisition unit, 433...scenery data reception unit, 434...displacement control unit, CA...vehicle interior, DR...driver, DRS...driver's seat, FR...front, FW...windshield, FW1...part of windshield, HD...assumed headrest position, OL...line, SP...accommodation space

Claims (9)

An image display system arranged in a vehicle in which a driver's seat can be tilted backward,
a video display device for displaying the content;
a position adjustment device having one end connected to a dashboard of the vehicle or a side of the dashboard opposite to a vehicle interior and the other end connected to the image display device, the position adjustment device being capable of displacing the image display device in the front-rear and up-down directions of the vehicle;
The position adjustment device is configured to be able to displace the image display device up to above the driver's seat that is tilted backward. 2. The image display system according to claim 1,
The image display system further comprises a displacement control unit that controls the displacement of the image display device by the position adjustment device. 3. The image display system according to claim 2,
an image acquisition unit for acquiring an image of a predetermined range including the driver's seat;
a face position detection unit that detects the position of a driver's face based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit,
The displacement control unit displaces the image display device so as to face the face of the driver based on the position of the driver's face detected by the face position detection unit. 3. The image display system according to claim 2,
Further, an acceleration sensor is provided for detecting an acceleration of the image display device,
The displacement control unit is
The image display system controls the image display device so as to reduce a displacement based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor. 3. The image display system according to claim 2,
A running state acquisition unit that acquires a signal indicating a running state of the vehicle,
The displacement control unit is
When the driving condition acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the vehicle should be driven by a driver, the image display system controls so that the image display device is not positioned on a line connecting a specific part of the windshield of the vehicle and the position of the headrest expected when the driver is driving the vehicle. A vehicle equipped with the image display system according to claim 1,
a housing space capable of housing the image display device and the position adjustment device, on a side opposite to the vehicle interior with respect to the dashboard;
the position adjustment device is configured such that the image display device and the position adjustment device are accommodated in the accommodation space by the deformation of the position adjustment device,
A vehicle, wherein one end of the position adjustment device is disposed within the storage space. 7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 6,
a steering housing space is provided on a side of the dashboard opposite to the passenger compartment;
The steering accommodation space is configured to accommodate a steering device when the vehicle is in autonomous driving. A vehicle equipped with the image display system according to claim 1,
Further, a scenery acquisition unit is provided for acquiring an image of a direction in which the vehicle is traveling,
The image display device is capable of displaying the image acquired by the scenery acquisition unit. 9. A vehicle according to claim 8,
The image display system includes a driving condition acquisition unit that acquires a signal indicating a driving condition of the vehicle,
A vehicle, wherein the image display device displays the image acquired by the scenery acquisition unit for a predetermined time after the driving condition acquisition unit acquires a signal indicating that the driver should drive the vehicle.

Images