JP6895264B2 - Vehicle lighting display method and display control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display method for vehicle lighting and a display control device.

Patent Document 1 discloses that various information is projected on the front of the vehicle by using the lighting mounted on the vehicle to improve the visibility of the projected information for the occupants of the vehicle.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-210130

However, in the conventional example disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, various information is projected at a position separated from the vehicle by a certain distance without considering the traveling speed of the vehicle. However, since the viewing angle of the occupant has a characteristic that it becomes narrower as the speed of the vehicle increases, for example, the driver during high-speed driving (for example, 100 km / h) as compared with low-speed driving (for example, 30 km / h). Since the viewing angle of the vehicle is narrowed, the visibility of various projected information decreases as the speed increases.

The present invention has been made to solve such a conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to change the projection position of various information according to the speed of the vehicle, so that the occupant can see the visibility. It is an object of the present invention to provide a display method and a display control device for vehicle lighting which can prevent the decrease in speed.

To achieve the above object, the present invention is the vehicle when entering the tunnel, when displaying an image on the wall of the tunnel by irradiation Meiko, displays an image in a region near the point at infinity than higher speed is faster ..

According to the present invention, when providing information, it is possible to prevent the visibility from being lowered for the occupant even if the speed of the vehicle changes.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display control device for vehicle lighting according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the speed of the vehicle and the visual field area of the occupant according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the display control device for vehicle lighting according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display area set according to the speed of the vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display control device for vehicle lighting according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the display control device for vehicle lighting according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing procedure of the wall surface determination process shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a detailed processing procedure of the display area setting process shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a display area set on the tunnel wall surface according to the speed of the vehicle according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how the lighting for displaying an image is provided as a separate body from the headlight according to the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Explanation of the first embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display control device for vehicle lighting according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the display control device 100 has a display data acquisition unit 11 that acquires display data to be displayed on the road surface in front of the vehicle, and the left and right headlights 21R and 21L (lighting) are turned on, off, and an image. It is provided with a lighting control unit 13 (lighting control circuit) that controls the output of the above. Then, the on / off of the headlights 21R and 21L and the output of the image are controlled to display various information in the area in front of the vehicle (for example, on the road surface in front of the vehicle).

The lighting control circuit (lighting control unit 13) and the display data acquisition unit 11 included in the display control device 100 can be realized by using a microcomputer including a CPU (central processing unit), a memory, and an input / output unit. A computer program for operating the microcomputer as the display control device 100 is installed and executed on the microcomputer. As a result, the microcomputer functions as an information processing circuit (lighting control circuit, display data acquisition unit 11) included in the display control device 100. Here, an example in which the display control circuit 100 is realized by software is shown, but of course, like an integrated circuit (ASIC) for a specific application or a conventional circuit component arranged so as to execute the function described in the embodiment. It is also possible to prepare a dedicated hardware to configure the lighting control circuit and the display data acquisition unit 11. Further, the lighting control circuit and the display data acquisition unit 11 may also be used as an electronic control unit (ECU) used for other control related to the vehicle.

The headlights 21R and 21L include a pixel matrix beam which is a light source in which a plurality of LEDs are arranged in a matrix. Then, under the control of the lighting control unit 13, the pixel matrix beam is controlled to output characters, symbols, symbols, etc. (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as an image) and projected onto the road surface (outside the vehicle) in front of the vehicle. To do. That is, the headlights 21R and 21L have a function of irradiating the front of the vehicle with light to light the headlights and projecting an image onto an area in front of the vehicle. For example, by displaying an image of characters or arrows, it is possible to indicate the traveling direction of the vehicle or to promote an increase in speed.

When the lighting control unit 13 lights the front of the vehicle, the headlights 21R and 21L are turned on in white. Further, by changing the lighting area, it is possible to switch between a low beam that irradiates a region near the front of the vehicle and a high beam that irradiates a region relatively far from the low beam to irradiate the light. .. That is, it is possible to switch to a low beam when traveling in a relatively bright environment such as an urban area, and to a high beam when traveling in an environment where there are few other vehicles such as in the suburbs.

In addition to this, the lighting control unit 13 displays various images in the area in front of the vehicle based on the display data acquired by the display data acquisition unit 11. For example, when vehicle route guidance is being implemented, control is performed to display characters such as "300 m ahead, left" in the area in front of the vehicle.

Further, the lighting control unit 13 acquires the speed data of the vehicle and controls the image display area to move to the area closer to the point at infinity as the speed increases. The point at infinity (sometimes called the vanishing point) is the point on the image where straight lines along both ends of the traveling path on which the own vehicle travels intersect. That is, the faster the vehicle speed, the narrower the viewing angle of the occupant and the farther the viewing angle. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a visual field area of an occupant. As shown in FIG. 2, when the speed is 20 km / h, the area R1 becomes the visual field area, and when the speed is 70 km / h, the area R2 becomes the visual field area. When the speed is 100 km / h, the region R3 becomes the visual field region. It is understood that as the speed of the vehicle increases, the viewing angle starting from the point at infinity becomes narrower and the field of view approaches the point at infinity. In the present embodiment, as the speed of the vehicle increases, the display area of the image is moved to a region closer to the point at infinity, so that various information is displayed in a manner that is easy for the occupant to see even when the speed changes.

Further, the lighting control unit 13 acquires map data and controls so that the display area faces the curve direction when the traveling road in front of the vehicle is a curved road. Based on the illuminance data output from the illuminance sensor 14 that detects the illuminance around the vehicle, the illumination control unit 13 controls so that the higher the ambient illuminance, the brighter the image displayed in the display area.

Hereinafter, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 3 is executed by the lighting control unit 13 shown in FIG.
First, in step S11, the lighting control unit 13 determines whether or not the display data acquisition unit 11 has acquired the display data to be notified to the occupants of the vehicle. For example, when vehicle route guidance is being implemented, route guidance information is acquired as display data. Alternatively, when the speed is reduced while traveling on the highway, information for promoting the increase in speed is acquired as display data.

When the display data is acquired (YES in step S11), in step S12, the lighting control unit 13 acquires the vehicle speed data from an ECU (Electronic Control Unit, not shown) mounted on the vehicle.

In step S13, the lighting control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 50 km / h or less, and if Vs ≦ 50 km / h (YES in step S13), the display shown in FIG. 4 in step S14. Set the area A. As shown in FIG. 4, the display area A is an area in front of the vehicle that is close to the vehicle and is the area farthest from the point at infinity. If Vs ≦ 50 km / h (NO in step S13), the process proceeds to step S15.

In step S15, the lighting control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 50 to 70 km / h, and if it is 50 to 70 km / h (YES in step S15), it is shown in FIG. 4 in step S16. Set the display area B. The display area B is a region slightly closer to the point at infinity than the display area A and has a slightly narrower viewing angle. If it is not 50 to 70 km / h (NO in step S15), the process proceeds to step S17.

In step S17, the lighting control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 70 to 100 km / h, and if it is 70 to 100 km / h (YES in step S17), it is shown in FIG. 4 in step S18. The display area C is set. The display area C is a region slightly closer to the point at infinity than the display area B and has a slightly narrower viewing angle. If it is not 70 to 100 km / h (NO in step S17), the process proceeds to step S19.

In step S19, the lighting control unit 13 sets the display area D shown in FIG. The display area D is a region slightly closer to the point at infinity than the display area C and has a slightly narrower viewing angle.

In step S20, the lighting control unit 13 outputs the outputs of the headlights 21R and 21L mounted on the left and right so that the display data is displayed in any of the display areas A to D set in the above process. Control. That is, the pixel matrix beam is controlled. As a result, the display data is displayed in the area corresponding to the speed of the vehicle.

In this way, in the vehicle lighting display control device 100 according to the present embodiment, the display area of the display data is set according to the speed of the vehicle. Specifically, four display areas A to D are set in front of the vehicle, and a display area is set in which the faster the speed, the closer to the point at infinity and the narrower the viewing angle. Therefore, the display data can be displayed in the display area in a manner that is easy for the occupant to see. As a result, the occupant can always visually recognize the displayed data in an easily visible manner without being affected by the speed of the vehicle, and can reliably recognize the displayed data.

In the present embodiment, an example in which any one of the four display areas A to D is selected to display the display data is shown, but the present invention is not limited to the four display areas A to D. Instead, other areas may be set. It is also possible to set the display area to continuously approach the point at infinity in conjunction with the increase in speed Vs.

Further, in the present embodiment, an example of displaying an image using the headlights 21R and 21L that irradiate the pixel matrix beam has been described. However, as the headlights 21R and 21L, a projector having a resolution of about 1 million pixels is used. It can also be used. Further, as the headlights 21R and 21L, it is also possible to use the pixel matrix beam and the headlamp in combination. In this case, the pixel matrix beam is used to display the image in the display area set in front of the vehicle. Even in such a configuration, it is possible to achieve the same effect.

[Explanation of First Modification Example of First Embodiment]
In the first embodiment described above, an example of displaying various images in the display areas (A to D) set in front of the vehicle has been described. However, when the traveling road in front of the vehicle is a curved road, if the display area is set in front of the vehicle, the image may be displayed in a direction different from the traveling direction of the vehicle. Therefore, in the modified example, the map data and the current position of the vehicle are acquired, and when the traveling road in front of the vehicle is a curved road, the display area is set so as to face the curved direction. By doing so, the display area is set in the traveling direction of the vehicle, so that the occupant of the vehicle can recognize the image displayed in the display area without moving the line of sight.

[Explanation of Second Modification of First Embodiment]
In the second modification, the higher the illuminance, the brighter the image to be displayed in the display area is displayed, based on the illuminance around the vehicle detected by the illuminance sensor 14. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the contrast from being increased by darkening the image when the surroundings are dark, and to make the image easier to recognize by brightening the image when the surroundings are bright.

[Explanation of the second embodiment]
Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a display control device for vehicle lighting according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, when the vehicle enters the tunnel, the information presented to the occupants of the vehicle is displayed on the wall surface (side wall) of the tunnel.

As shown in FIG. 5, the display control device 101 includes a display data acquisition unit 11 that acquires display data to be displayed on the wall surface of the tunnel, a tunnel determination unit 12 that determines whether or not a vehicle has entered the tunnel, and a tunnel determination unit 12. It includes a lighting control unit 13 that controls the on / off of the left and right headlights 21R and 21L (lighting) and the output of an image. Then, when the vehicle enters the tunnel, the headlights 21R and 21L are turned on and off, and the output of the image is controlled to light the front of the vehicle and display various information on the wall surface of the tunnel.

The headlights 21R and 21L are pixel matrix beams as in the first embodiment, and by controlling the pixel matrix beam by the illumination control unit 13, various images are output and projected onto the wall surface of the tunnel. .. That is, the headlights 21R and 21L have a function of irradiating a region in front of the vehicle with light to light the headlights and projecting an image on the tunnel wall surface in front of the vehicle.

When the lighting control unit 13 lights the front of the vehicle, the headlights 21R and 21L are turned on in white. Further, by changing the area to be lit, the low beam and the high beam can be switched to irradiate the light. In addition to this, the lighting control unit 13 displays various images on the tunnel wall surface in front of the vehicle based on the display data acquired by the display data acquisition unit 11. For example, when a vehicle enters the tunnel and the speed of the vehicle slows down, a control is performed to display characters such as "speeding down" on the tunnel wall surface.

Further, the lighting control unit 13 acquires the speed data of the vehicle and controls so that the area on the wall surface on which the image is displayed approaches the point at infinity as the speed increases. That is, the faster the speed, the farther the occupant's field of view becomes. Therefore, by setting the image display area to be closer to the point at infinity as the speed increases, the occupant can easily see the image even if the speed changes. , Display various information.

The tunnel determination unit 12 determines whether or not the vehicle has entered the tunnel based on the illuminance around the vehicle detected by the illuminance sensor 14. It is also possible to acquire map data and current position data of the vehicle to determine whether or not the vehicle has entered the tunnel.

Next, the operation of the vehicle lighting display control device 101 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. First, in step S31 of FIG. 6, the lighting control unit 13 calculates the average speed V1 * of the vehicle for 30 seconds. The calculation of the average speed is not limited to 30 seconds, and may be an average over a certain period of time.

In step S32, the tunnel determination unit 12 determines whether or not the vehicle has entered the tunnel. The illuminance sensor 14 shown in FIG. 5 detects the illuminance around the vehicle (for example, the illuminance above the vehicle), and when the illuminance remains below 500 lux for 2 seconds, the vehicle enters the tunnel. Judge as a thing. In addition to the example of using the illuminance sensor 14, for example, it is also possible to adopt a method of detecting that the vehicle has entered the tunnel based on the map data and the current position information of the vehicle.

In step S33, the lighting control unit 13 performs a wall surface determination process for determining whether to display the display data on the right side surface or the left side wall surface in the tunnel.

Hereinafter, a detailed procedure of the wall surface determination process will be described with reference to FIG. 7. First, in step S51, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling in the rightmost lane in the tunnel. For example, when the vehicle is traveling in the right-hand overtaking lane (in the case of left-hand traffic) in a tunnel having only two lanes on each side, it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in the rightmost lane. Information on the traveling zone can be recognized based on GPS information, vehicle odometry information, and the like.

Then, when traveling in the rightmost lane (YES in step S51), in step S52, the wall surface on which the display data is displayed is set on the right wall surface.

On the other hand, when the vehicle is not traveling on the rightmost traffic road (NO in step S51), it is determined in step S53 whether or not the vehicle is traveling on the leftmost traffic zone. For example, if the vehicle is traveling in the leftmost lane (in the case of left-hand traffic) in a tunnel with two lanes on each side, it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in the leftmost lane.

Then, when traveling in the leftmost lane (YES in step S53), in step S54, the wall surface on which the display data is displayed is set to the left wall surface.

When the vehicle is not traveling in the leftmost lane (NO in step S53), the lighting control unit 13 hides the display data in step S55.

Then, when the right side wall surface or the left side wall surface is set in step S52 or S54, in step S34 of FIG. 6, the lighting control unit 13 calculates the average speed V2 * of the vehicle for 30 seconds.

In step S35, the lighting control unit 13 determines whether or not the average speed V2 * after entering the tunnel is decelerated by 15 km / h or more with respect to the average speed V1 * before entering the tunnel. To do. If the vehicle has not decelerated by 15 km / h or more (NO in step S35), the process returns to step S34. When the vehicle is decelerating by 15 km / h or more (YES in step S35), the display area setting process is performed in step S36.

Hereinafter, a detailed processing procedure of the display area setting process will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
In step S61, the lighting control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 50 km / h or less, and if Vs ≦ 50 km / h (YES in step S61), the display area A is set in step S62. To do. As shown in FIG. 9, the display area A is a tunnel wall surface on the left side in front of the vehicle, and is a region near the vehicle, that is, a region away from the point at infinity. If Vs ≦ 50 km / h (NO in step S61), the process proceeds to step S63.

In step S63, the lighting control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 50 to 70 km / h, and if it is 50 to 70 km / h (YES in step S63), the display area B is displayed in step S64. Set. As shown in FIG. 9, the display area B is a region slightly closer to the point at infinity than the display area A and the viewing angle is slightly narrower. If it is not 50 to 70 km / h (NO in step S63), the process proceeds to step S65.

In step S65, the lighting control unit 13 determines whether or not the speed Vs is 70 to 100 km / h, and if it is 70 to 100 km / h (YES in step S65), the display area C is displayed in step S66. Set. As shown in FIG. 9, the display area C is a region slightly closer to the point at infinity than the display area B and the viewing angle is slightly narrower.

When the speed Vs exceeds 100 km / h (NO in step S65), the display area D is set in step S67. As shown in FIG. 9, the display area D is a region slightly closer to the point at infinity than the display area C and the viewing angle is slightly narrower. In this way, the display area is set according to the speed.

Next, in step S37 of FIG. 6, the wall surface display of the display data is started. That is, the process of displaying the display data acquired by the display data acquisition unit 11 is executed in the display area set in the process of step S36 on the wall surface in the tunnel set in the wall surface determination process.

As a result, for example, images such as "Keep Speed" and "Please increase the speed" can be displayed on the wall surface in the tunnel, and the occupants of the vehicle can be made aware that the speed is decreasing.

In step S38, the lighting control unit 13 executes the tunnel inside determination process, and when it is determined that the tunnel is outside the tunnel, the lighting control unit 13 ends the display of the display data on the tunnel wall surface in step S40. Further, when traveling in the tunnel, in step S39, it is determined whether or not the average speed V2 * in the tunnel is less than 5 km / h with respect to the average speed V1 * outside the tunnel. If the deceleration is less than 5 km / h (YES in step S39), the wall surface display ends in step S40.

On the other hand, if the deceleration is not less than 5 km / h (NO in step S39), the process is returned to step S36. In this way, when the vehicle enters the tunnel and the speed slows down, this information can be displayed on the wall surface in the tunnel so that the occupants of the vehicle can recognize it.

In this way, the vehicle lighting display control device 101 according to the second embodiment displays information to be notified to the occupants of the vehicle on the wall surface in the tunnel when the vehicle enters the tunnel. Therefore, for example, even if a vehicle enters the tunnel while driving on a highway and the occupant does not notice that the speed is decreasing, information indicating that the vehicle has decelerated is displayed on the wall surface in the tunnel. It is possible to reliably inform the occupants of the vehicle that the speed is decelerating.

In addition, when the vehicle is traveling in the right lane in the tunnel, the display data is displayed on the right wall surface, and when the vehicle is traveling in the left lane, the display data is displayed on the left wall surface. Since it is displayed, it can be displayed at a position that is easy for the occupants of the vehicle to see. Further, since the projected light of the display data is not applied to the other vehicle, it is possible to avoid affecting the other vehicle.

Further, a threshold value (for example, 15 km / h) is set for the average speed, and when a deceleration exceeding this threshold value is detected, an image prompting the speed increase is displayed on the wall surface, so that the image is displayed unnecessarily. You can avoid that.

Further, as in the first embodiment described above, the faster the speed, the closer the area to be displayed on the wall surface in the tunnel is set to approach the point at infinity, so that the displayed data can be reliably recognized.

Although the display method of the vehicle lighting and the display control device of the present invention have been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the configuration of each part has the same function. It can be replaced with any configuration.

For example, as shown in FIG. 10, by installing the pixel matrix beam 22 in addition to the headlamps 21R and 21L, the headlights 21R and 21L illuminate the front of the vehicle and the pixel matrix. It is also possible to display an image on the beam 22.

11 Display data acquisition unit 12 Tunnel judgment unit 13 Lighting control unit (lighting control circuit)
14 Illuminance sensor 21R, 21L Headlight 22 Pixel matrix beam 100 Display control device 101 Display control device

Claims (5)

It is a display method of a headlight that displays an image in front of the vehicle by irradiating the headlight of the vehicle .
It is determined whether or not the vehicle has entered the tunnel, and when the vehicle enters the tunnel, the image is displayed on the wall surface of the tunnel.
Higher speed of the vehicle both a large display method for a vehicle lighting and displaying the image in a region near the point at infinity of the vehicle ahead. The method for displaying vehicle lighting according to claim 1, wherein the higher the speed of the vehicle, the narrower the viewing angle of the area for displaying the image from the point at infinity. The vehicle lighting according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the traveling path of the vehicle is detected, and when the traveling path in front of the vehicle is a curved road, the image is displayed in the curved direction in front of the vehicle. How to display. The method for displaying vehicle lighting according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the illuminance around the vehicle is detected, and the higher the illuminance, the brighter the image is displayed. It is a display control device for vehicle lighting that displays an image on the outside of the vehicle by illumination light.
A lighting control circuit that acquires the speed of the vehicle and displays the image on the wall surface of the tunnel when the vehicle enters the tunnel is provided in a region closer to the point at infinity as the speed of the vehicle increases. thing
A display control device for vehicle lighting.

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