JP6065766B2 - Information providing apparatus and information providing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus for presenting information to a passenger of a vehicle.

  There has been proposed a system for presenting information such as obstacles existing around a vehicle to a passenger of the vehicle. For example, the image display device includes virtual image display means that reflects light for displaying an image by a windshield (front glass) or the like and outputs it to the driver's eyes to display a virtual image, and displays a virtual image that moves around an obstacle. Thus, a head-up display (HUD) that emphasizes an obstacle and makes the driver recognize the obstacle has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-196630 A

  Obstacles outside the vehicle to be presented to the driver are present not only in front of the vehicle traveling direction but also in the front left and right of the vehicle. In a general HUD, the display area that can display a virtual image in the windshield is limited to a part of the range, and highlighting is performed for obstacles that are located far away from the front to the left and right. Was difficult.

  On the other hand, when the presence of an obstacle is indicated using an icon or the like in a limited display area where virtual image display is possible, it is difficult to immediately grasp the actual position of the obstacle indicated by the icon. There was a problem. This occurs not only in the case of virtual image display but also in the case where an obstacle icon is displayed on a display such as a liquid crystal display.

  An object of the present invention is to propose an information providing apparatus and an information providing method capable of easily recognizing the position of a display target.

  The invention according to claim 1, which has been made in order to solve the above-described problem, provides information for acquiring object data relating to a predetermined display object and presenting the information on the display object to a passenger of the vehicle (2). Device (1). The object data referred to here includes information that can specify the position of the display object.

  The information providing apparatus includes image generation means (9, 27) that generates a composite image (31, 53, 65, 75), and image display means (5) that displays the generated composite image. The composite image is an image including an area suggestion image (43, 57, 63, 71) and an object image (41, 49, 55, 73).

  The region suggestion image described above is an image that suggests a direction of the setting region (45, 61) set outside the vehicle with respect to the vehicle, and is an image having a shape determined in association with the direction. is there. The above-described object image is an image including a predetermined shape or symbol representing a display object located in the setting area.

  The information providing apparatus configured as described above displays a display target and information on a region where the display target exists in a composite image. A vehicle occupant who has seen the composite image can recognize the presence of the display object from the object image, and can recognize the position of the display object from the region suggestion image.

  Since the shape of the composite image represents the direction of the display target, the direction of the display target can be recognized by the passenger. In addition, since the area suggestion image is an image having a shape determined in association with the direction of the setting area, that is, the direction in which the display target is located, the position of the display target can be intuitively recognized.

As described above, the information providing apparatus of the present invention can easily recognize the position of the display target even if the display is in a limited range.
The area suggestion image described above can adopt various shapes that suggest the direction of the set area. For example, when the image display means is a virtual image display device mounted on a vehicle, the region suggestion images are arranged with a space between left and right, and a pair of left and right vertical lines extending in the vertical direction and the pair of vertical lines And a pair of horizontal lines connecting the upper ends and the lower ends of the image, a quadrilateral image in which an outline is formed. In this case, with respect to the left and right directions where the setting region exists with reference to the position of the vehicle, the vertical lines on the side in the direction may be displayed so as to be relatively longer than the paired vertical lines.

  With such an area suggestion image, a quadrilateral can be imaged as a display on the back of a virtual camera, so the direction in which the camera is facing, that is, the direction in which the display target is located, can be recognized intuitively.

  The region suggestion image may be an image having a shape obtained by projecting a form defining a predetermined surface onto a plane. The form defining the predetermined plane may be a figure having a plane itself, a figure in which a frame, dots, lines, grids, and the like are arranged on a plane. In this case, the region suggestion image is further converted into an image in which the direction of the straight line obtained by projecting the normal of the predetermined surface described above onto the above-described plane corresponds to the direction of the setting region with respect to the vehicle. Can be imaged as a display on the back of the virtual camera described above, and the direction in which the display target is located can be intuitively recognized.

  The invention according to claim 9 made to solve the above-described problem is an information providing method for presenting information on a predetermined display target to a passenger of a vehicle. In the information providing method of the present invention, the step of acquiring object data capable of specifying the position of the display target, the step of generating a composite image, the step of displaying the composite image by the image display means for displaying the image, Have The composite image is a region suggestion image that is an image having a shape determined in association with a direction of a vehicle in a setting region that is set outside the vehicle, and a predetermined shape that represents a display target located in the setting region Or an object image including a symbol.

  With such an information providing method, similar to the information providing apparatus described above, the display target and the area where the display target exists are displayed in a composite image, thereby displaying a limited range. In addition, the position of the display target can be easily recognized.

  Note that the reference numerals in parentheses described in this column and in the claims indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiment described later as one aspect, and the technical scope of the present invention. It is not limited.

It is explanatory drawing explaining the structure of an information provision apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a control apparatus. (A) is a figure which shows the scenery seen from a driver | operator's viewpoint, (B) is an enlarged view of a display area. It is the figure seen from the vehicle upper side explaining a setting field. (A)-(C) are the figures seen from the vehicle upper side explaining a some setting area | region. (A)-(C) are the figures seen from the vehicle upper side explaining the position of a virtual camera changing according to a setting area | region. It is a figure explaining the case where a some composite image is displayed, Comprising: (A) is a figure which shows the scenery seen from a driver | operator's viewpoint, (B) is an enlarged view of a display area. (A)-(C) is a figure explaining combination of a plurality of compound images. It is a figure explaining the change of the magnitude | size of the composite image according to the distance of a setting area | region. It is a figure which shows the scenery seen from the driver | operator's viewpoint for demonstrating the case where a white line is displayed on a composite image. It is a figure which shows the scenery seen from a driver | operator's viewpoint for demonstrating the case where a path | route is displayed on a composite image, Comprising: It is the figure which superimposed the path | route which is not actually displayed. (A)-(C) is a figure explaining the some composite image which displays a path | route. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of an obstacle display process. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of a route display process. It is a figure explaining the composite image corresponding to the setting area | region located upwards on the basis of a vehicle. It is a figure which shows the composite image by which the target object image has been arrange | positioned outside the outline of a region suggestion image.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[Example]
(1) Overall Configuration As shown in FIG. 1, the information providing device 1 according to the present embodiment is a device mounted on a vehicle 2 and includes a camera 3, a liquid crystal panel 5, a navigation system 7, and a control device 9. ing. The information providing apparatus 1 acquires object data related to a predetermined display target, and presents the information on the display target to a vehicle occupant (a driver in the present embodiment). Display objects in the present embodiment are obstacles such as pedestrians and vehicles outside the vehicle 2 and routes used for travel route guidance.

The camera 3 is an imaging device for taking images of the front of the vehicle 2 and the left and right fronts. An image photographed by the camera 3 is output to the control device 9.
The liquid crystal panel 5 is disposed on the instrument panel 11 and displays an image output from the control device 9. The light for displaying an image output from the liquid crystal panel 5 is reflected by the windshield 12 and reaches the viewpoint 13 of the driver of the vehicle 2. As a result, an image displayed on the liquid crystal panel 5 can be displayed as a virtual image 14 in front of the windshield 12. That is, a virtual image display device is formed by the liquid crystal panel 5 and the windshield 12. Note that a combiner may be provided in the vehicle 2 instead of the windshield 12, and a virtual image may be displayed using the combiner.

  The navigation system 7 includes a position detection device 16 that detects the current position of the host vehicle, a storage device 17, a display (not shown), a CPU (not shown) that controls the navigation system 7 and the like.

The position detection device 16 includes a GPS receiver, a gyroscope, and a vehicle speed sensor, and specifies the position of the host vehicle using these.
The storage device 17 is a storage medium having a storage area for map data indicating map information. The map data stored in the storage device 17 includes road data used for map matching, route search, route guidance, etc., drawing data including various data necessary for map display, and the like.

  The navigation system 7 calculates a route for performing route guidance from the current position of the vehicle 2 to a predetermined destination, and displays a route line indicating the route to the destination on the display. At the same time, the calculated route data is output to the control device 9. The route data is an example of the object data in the present invention, and the navigation system 7 is an example of the route calculation means.

  The control device 9 is a device that performs overall control of the information providing device 1 and outputs an image to the liquid crystal panel 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the CPU 21, the ROM 22, the RAM 23, the image memory 24, an input / output interface (not shown), and A known microcomputer composed of a bus line or the like for connecting these components is mainly configured.

The CPU 21 executes various processes in accordance with programs stored in the ROM 22 using the RAM 23 as a work area. The image memory 24 stores image data output from the camera 3.
Returning to FIG. The control device 9 configured as described above functions as the display object detection unit 26 and the image generation unit 27.

  The display object detection unit 26 determines whether or not an obstacle that is an example of a display object exists in the image captured by the camera 3. If there is an obstacle, the obstacle is based on the vehicle 2. The direction to the vehicle, the distance to the obstacle with reference to the vehicle 2, and the size of the obstacle are calculated. These calculations can be performed by a known method from the shape, movement, and luminance of the obstacle. The data such as the direction and distance of the obstacle is an example of the object data that can specify the position in the present invention, and the display object detection unit 26 is an example of the detection unit.

The image generation unit 27 generates a composite image to be output to the liquid crystal panel 5. Details of the composite image will be described below.
(2) Composite Image First, a case where an obstacle is displayed as a display target will be described.

  An example of the composite screen to be displayed is shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 3A, the driver can visually recognize the front of the vehicle through the windshield 12. In this figure, the pedestrian 33 and the white line 35 are visually recognized through the windshield 12.

  The composite image 31 output from the liquid crystal panel 5 is displayed in the display area 37 located near the lower end in front of the driver seat of the windshield 12. The composite image 31 is visually recognized by the driver as a virtual image positioned in front of the windshield 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the composite image 31 is an image including a target image 41 that indicates a display target and a region suggestion image 43 that is displayed around the target image 41.
The object image 41 is an image including a predetermined shape or symbol indicating the type of display object. The object image 41 in FIG. 3B shows the presence of the pedestrian 33.

  The area suggestion image 43 is an image corresponding to a setting area where a display target exists. FIG. 4 shows an example of the setting area. The setting area 45 is an area set in advance outside the vehicle 2. The area suggestion image 43 is an image suggesting a direction of the setting area 45 with respect to the vehicle 2, and the shape is determined in association with the direction of the setting area 45.

  In the present embodiment, the direction based on the vehicle is a setting region based on a straight line (straight line A in FIG. 4) passing through the driver's viewpoint 13 when the driver faces the traveling direction of the vehicle 2. This is the direction in which 45 main parts exist. Henceforth, the direction of a setting area shall mean this direction. In FIG. 4, the setting area 45 exists in the left direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the region suggestion image 43 is a quadrangular frame-shaped image, and is arranged with a pair of left and right vertical lines 44a and 44b that are spaced apart from each other and extend in the vertical direction. It is a quadrilateral image in which an outline is formed by a pair of horizontal lines 44c and 44d connecting the upper ends and the lower ends of the pair of vertical lines 44a and 44b.

  Here, the region suggestion image 43 is relatively longer than the paired vertical line 44b with respect to the direction (left direction in FIG. 4) in which the setting region 45 exists in the direction side (left side) vertical line 44a. Yes.

Since the region suggestion image 43 has the above-described shape, the composite image 31 is an image having a sense of perspective as if the left end of the rectangle was fronted and the right end was tilted back as shown in FIG.
Such a composite image 31 is a pseudo representation of a display 47b provided on the back surface of a virtual camera 47, which is a virtual imaging device arranged at the position of the virtual image 14, as shown in FIG. The virtual camera 47 has a lens for photographing the setting area 45 on the front surface (photographing direction 47a) like a digital still camera or a camera-equipped smartphone equipped with a display on the opposite side of the photographing direction, and is photographed on the rear display 47b. The displayed image is displayed, and the outer edge of the rear display 47 b is represented by the region suggestion image 43.

  In FIG. 4, since the shooting direction 47a of the virtual camera 47 is directed leftward with respect to the vehicle traveling direction, the pedestrian 33 located in the setting area 45 is displayed on the virtual camera 47 and displayed on the display 47b on the back. .

  Since the display 47b of the virtual camera 47 is arranged to be inclined with respect to the direction of the line of sight (vehicle traveling direction, straight line A), the display 47b is not rectangular from the viewpoint 13, but is distorted to have a perspective. Become. A composite image 31 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B represents a sense of perspective so as to match the shape of the display 47 b viewed from the viewpoint 13.

Therefore, the driver who has seen the composite image 31 can intuitively recognize the position of the obstacle as if he / she looks at the virtual camera 47 photographing the left direction.
Explaining the shape of this region suggestion image 43 representing the perspective with different expressions, it is an image of a shape in which a frame having a rectangular outline is projected onto a plane having a normal direction different from the normal direction of the rectangle. It can be said. In this case, the direction of the straight line when the normal of the frame (the normal in the direction away from the plane) is projected onto the plane corresponds to the direction of the setting area 45 with respect to the vehicle 2.

Note that the object image 41 may have a shape that represents a perspective according to the region suggestion image 43 as described above, or may not have such a shape.
Further, the region suggestion image 43 does not need to have a strictly calculated shape that is actually visually recognized according to the position of the setting region 45 and the position of the virtual image 14 (the position of the virtual camera 47) as shown in FIG. Any shape that can roughly indicate the direction of the setting region may be used. Of course, it is good also as a shape close | similar to the shape actually recognized visually.

  In the case where the region suggestion image does not have a strictly calculated shape, the region suggestion image may be adjusted to a shape in which the direction can be easily recognized. Specifically, for example, in the case of a region suggestion image corresponding to a setting region located in the left direction, it is conceivable that the left side enlargement degree is extremely increased compared to the right side. With such a region suggestion image, the driver can easily grasp the direction indicated by the region suggestion image.

  Incidentally, in the present embodiment, a plurality of setting areas 45 are set outside the vehicle 2. As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the plurality of region suggestion images 43 a to 43 c are associated with the direction of the setting region with reference to the vehicle 2 for each of the plurality of setting regions 45 a to 45 c. Prepared as an image of a predetermined shape. Each setting area may have an overlapping part.

  The setting area 45a is located in the left direction, the setting area 45b is located in the front, and the setting area 45c is located in the right direction. The liquid crystal panel 5 displays any one of the composite images 31a to 31c according to the detected position of the display target.

  The position in the display area 37 where the composite image 31 is displayed may be moved according to the setting area 45. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 6A to 6C, the composite image 31 may be displayed as if the virtual camera 47 is rotated about the rotation axis B at a position spaced from the virtual camera 47. Conceivable. In this case, the composite image 31 a corresponding to the left setting area 45 a can be displayed on the left side of the display area 37, and the composite image 31 corresponding to the right setting area 45 c can be displayed on the right side of the display area 37.

When a plurality of display objects exist in different setting areas, a plurality of composite images 31 can be displayed in the display area 37 as shown in FIGS.
Further, in the case where a plurality of composite images are displayed, when the display target moves to the same setting area, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C, the composite images that have shown different display targets. A plurality of display objects may be displayed on one composite image 31f by combining 31d and 31e. In FIG. 8, time elapses in the order of (A), (B), and (C).

  Further, the positional relationship between the region suggestion image and the object image may be adjusted according to the position where the display target exists in the setting region. For example, when the display target is located on the left side in the setting area, it is conceivable to display the object image on the left side in the frame of the area suggestion image. By performing the display in this way, the driver can recognize the position of the detailed display target.

  Further, as in the composite images 31g and 31h shown in FIG. 9, the display size may be adjusted according to the distance between the virtual cameras 47g and 47h corresponding to the setting areas 45g and 45h. For example, the closer the virtual camera is, the larger the corresponding composite image can be. By generating the composite image in this way, even if the shape of the region suggestion image is the same, the distance can be recognized by the size.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the composite image 31 may be an image including an object image 49 showing a white line 35 outside the vehicle 2. Thereby, it becomes easy to understand the positional relationship between an obstacle such as the pedestrian 33 and the white line 35. In addition, you may display not only a white line but division lines other than a white line as a display target.

Next, a case where a route is displayed as a display target will be described.
FIG. 11 is a diagram in which a route 51 that is an image of virtual route information is superimposed on the scenery outside the vehicle 2. When the route 51 is superimposed on an actual road as shown in FIG. 11, it is easy for the driver to understand. However, for this purpose, the route 51 needs to be displayed widely beyond the windshield 12, so the mode shown in FIG. 11. Cannot be displayed. In the present embodiment, the composite image 53 is displayed in the display area 37 to allow the driver to recognize the route 51.

  As shown in FIGS. 12A to 12C, the composite images 53a to 53c include an object image 55 indicating the path 51 and region suggestion images 57a to 57c. Since the path 51 has position information, it is possible to determine which setting area passes through the plurality of setting areas.

  A composite image 53a in FIG. 12A is an image including an area suggestion image 57a corresponding to a setting area located in front of the vehicle 2, and is located in the path 51 existing in the setting area, that is, in front of the vehicle 2. A route 51 is displayed. The composite image 53b in FIG. 12B is an image including the region suggestion image 57b corresponding to the setting region on the right side of the setting region corresponding to the region suggestion image 57a in FIG. A route 51 on the right side of the route 51 shown is shown. The composite image 53c in FIG. 12C is an image including a region suggestion image 57c corresponding to the setting region on the right side, and is displayed up to the right end portion of the path 51.

The information providing apparatus 1 can cause the driver to recognize the entire route 51 by switching the composite images 53 a to 53 c at predetermined time intervals and displaying them on the display area 37.
(3) Processing by Control Device (3.1) Obstacle Display Processing Obstacle display processing executed by the CPU 21 of the control device 9 will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

This obstacle display process is started when power is supplied to the entire information providing apparatus 1 including the camera 3 and the control device 9 (for example, when an ignition switch is turned on).
In this process, first, an image taken by the camera 3 is acquired from the image memory 24 (S1), and an obstacle is detected from the acquired image (S2). Then, it is determined whether or not an obstacle exists in the image (S3). If no obstacle is detected (S3: NO), the process returns to S1. If an obstacle is detected (S3: YES), the process proceeds to S4.

  Next, the direction, distance, and size of the detected obstacle are calculated (S4), and the type of the obstacle is determined based on the size and shape of the detected obstacle (S5). Here, the type is determined by comparing the reference value of the size and shape of a vehicle or a person set in advance with the size and shape of the calculated obstacle.

  Next, a setting area where an obstacle exists is determined (S6). Here, based on the direction and distance of the obstacle calculated in S4, the setting area 45 where the obstacle exists is determined from a plurality of preset setting areas 45.

  Next, the composite image 31 is generated (S7). Here, a composite image 31 including the object image 41 corresponding to the obstacle type determined in S5 and the area suggestion image 43 corresponding to the setting area 45 determined in S6 is generated. Then, the image data of the composite image 31 is output and displayed on the liquid crystal panel 5 (S8). Thereafter, the process returns to S1.

(3.2) Route Display Processing The route display processing executed by the CPU 21 of the control device 9 will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

  This route display processing is started when the navigation system 7 starts route guidance to a predetermined destination in response to an input from the driver or the like, and is repeatedly executed while the route guidance is executed.

  In this process, first, the current position information of the vehicle is acquired from the navigation system 7 (S11). Next, the route information calculated by the navigation system 7 is acquired from the navigation system 7 (S12).

  Next, a setting area through which the route 51 passes is determined based on the route information acquired in S12 (S13). Then, a composite image is generated for each setting area determined to pass in S13 (S14). When the path 51 passes through only one setting area, one composite image 53 is generated.

Next, the image data of the composite image 53 generated in S14 is sequentially output and displayed on the liquid crystal panel 5 (S15). Thereafter, this process ends.
(4) Effect The information providing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can cause the driver to recognize the display target based on the object image, and can cause the driver to recognize the display target based on the region suggestion image. Therefore, the driver can recognize the position of the display target without performing display over a wide range.

Further, since the region suggestion image represents the rear display 47b of the virtual camera 47, the driver can intuitively recognize the direction.
[Modification]
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various forms can be taken as long as they belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the composite image is displayed by the virtual image display using the liquid crystal panel 5 and the windshield 12 is illustrated, but other display methods may be used. For example, a general display device such as a liquid crystal display may be arranged in front of the driver's seat.

  Moreover, in the said Example, although the structure which suggests the left-right direction of a setting area by the area suggestion image was illustrated, you may use the area suggestion image which suggests the up-down direction of a setting area. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, there is a configuration in which a setting area 61 is located above the vehicle 2 and a composite image 65 including an area suggestion image 63 of an image taken by the virtual camera 47 is taken. Conceivable.

  In the above-described embodiment, the object images 41 and 55 are arranged inside the frame-type region suggestion images 43 and 57. However, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the composite image 75 may be generated such that a part or the whole of the object image 73 is located.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration using the rectangular frame-type region suggestion images 43 and 57 is exemplified, but the region suggestion image is an image having a shape determined in association with the direction of the set region with respect to the vehicle. If so, images of various shapes can be used.

  For example, if a predetermined surface is defined and the shape when viewed from the front can be imagined, and if the image is a shape obtained by projecting the shape onto a plane, by looking at the projected image Since the direction of inclination of the predetermined surface can be understood intuitively, it can be used as a region suggestion image.

  The form that defines the predetermined surface is only required to be able to grasp the surface from the form. In addition to the form having the surface itself, the surface surrounding the surface, or by arranging a large number of dots, straight lines, grids, etc. The figure which prescribes | regulates may be sufficient.

  Furthermore, the direction of the straight line when the normal line of the predetermined surface is projected onto the above-described plane and the direction of the set region can be made to correspond to each other so that the driver can recognize the direction more easily.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Information provision apparatus, 2 ... Vehicle, 5 ... Liquid crystal panel, 7 ... Navigation system, 9 ... Control apparatus, 12 ... Windshield, 14 ... Virtual image, 21 ... CPU, 26 ... Display object detection part, 27 ... Image generation Part, 31, 53, 65, 75 ... composite image, 33 ... pedestrian, 35 ... white line, 41, 49, 55, 73 ... object image, 43, 57, 63, 71 ... area suggestion image, 45, 61 ... Setting area, 47 ... virtual camera, 51 ... route

Claims (9)

An information providing device (1) for acquiring object data relating to a predetermined display object and presenting the information on the display object to a passenger of the vehicle (2),
The object data includes information that can identify the position of the display object,
A region suggestion image (43, 57, 63, which is an image of a shape determined in association with the direction, suggesting a direction based on the vehicle in the setting region (45, 61) set outside the vehicle. 71) and an object image (41, 49, 55, 73) including a predetermined shape or symbol representing the display object located in the setting area, a composite image (31, 53, 65, 75) Image generating means (9, 27) to generate;
And an image display unit (5) for displaying the composite image generated by the image generation unit. The image display means reflects the image display light by a windshield (12) or a combiner provided in the vehicle and reaches the eyes of a passenger of the vehicle, whereby the image is displayed on the windshield or The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information providing apparatus displays a virtual image in front of a combiner. The region suggestion image is arranged with a space between left and right, and a contour is formed by a pair of left and right vertical lines extending in the vertical direction and a pair of horizontal lines connecting the upper ends and the lower ends of the pair of vertical lines. A quadrilateral image, wherein the vertical line on the side in the direction is relatively longer than the pair of vertical lines with respect to the left and right directions where the setting area exists with reference to the position of the vehicle. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the region suggestion image is an image having a shape obtained by projecting a form defining a predetermined surface onto a plane. 5. The information provision according to claim 4, wherein in the region suggestion image, a direction of a straight line obtained by projecting a normal line of the predetermined surface onto the plane corresponds to a direction of the setting region with respect to the vehicle. apparatus. A plurality of the setting areas are set outside the vehicle,
The region suggestion image is prepared as an image having a shape determined in association with a direction of the setting region with respect to the vehicle for each of the plurality of setting regions. Item 6. The information providing device according to any one of Items 5 to 6. The said display object is the obstruction (33) recognized by the detection means (9, 26) which detects the obstruction outside the said vehicle. Any one of the Claims 1-6 characterized by the above-mentioned. The information providing device described in 1. The display target is the route calculated by route calculation means (7) for calculating a route for performing route guidance from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined destination. The information providing device according to claim 7. An information providing method for presenting information on a predetermined display target to a passenger of a vehicle,
Obtaining object data capable of specifying a position of the display object;
A region suggestion image that is an image of a shape determined in association with a direction of the setting region set outside the vehicle with respect to the vehicle, and a predetermined shape or symbol representing the display object located in the setting region Generating a composite image comprising: an object image comprising:
And a step of displaying the composite image by an image display means for displaying an image.

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