JP7768032B2 - Video display device and video display method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image display device and an image display method.

Systems that capture video of the vehicle's surroundings have been put into practical use, and are used, for example, as drive recorders. When video captured by such systems is not saved as an event recorder, it is temporarily recorded and then overwritten with new video. A technology has been disclosed that allows the drive recorder's video to be played back in both forward and backward directions by flicking the screen based on a vanishing point, which serves as a reference point (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-078083

With the technology of Patent Document 1, when a vehicle occupant is viewing the area around the vehicle while it is moving, it is difficult for them to instantly check images of the locations the vehicle has passed through.

This disclosure was made in consideration of the above, and aims to make it possible to instantly check images of locations that a vehicle has passed through while traveling.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the video display device according to the present disclosure includes a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of a moving body, a transparent display panel that is installed on the moving body, a video acquisition unit that acquires video, including location information, of the surroundings of the moving body from another moving body traveling around the moving body, a specification unit that specifies an area to be displayed on the transparent display panel in the video acquired by the video acquisition unit, an operation unit that can be operated on the surface of the transparent display panel, a playback control unit that plays back the video acquired by the video acquisition unit, and a specification unit that specifies an area to be displayed on the transparent display panel in the video played back by the playback control unit. and a display control unit that displays the image of the range specified by the operation unit on the transmissive display panel, wherein the image acquisition unit starts acquiring images captured by other moving objects traveling around the moving object when operation of the operation unit is started, and the playback control unit plays back images captured by other moving objects in the moving object's direction of travel when the operation unit is operated in a first direction along the moving object's direction of travel, and plays back images captured by other moving objects in the opposite direction to the moving object's direction of travel when the operation unit is operated in the opposite direction to the first direction along the moving object's direction of travel.

The video display method according to the present disclosure is performed by an video display device that, when an operation of an operation unit that is installed on a moving body and can be operated on the surface of a transparent display panel is initiated, starts acquiring video captured by other moving bodies traveling around the moving body; when the operation direction of the operation unit is operated in a first direction along the moving direction of the moving body, acquires and plays back video captured by other moving bodies in the moving direction of the moving body; and when the operation direction of the operation unit is operated in the direction opposite to the first direction along the moving direction of the moving body, acquires and plays back video captured by other moving bodies in the opposite direction to the moving direction of the moving body.

This disclosure has the effect of making it possible to instantly check images of locations that a vehicle has passed through while traveling.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a video display device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the angle of view of a vehicle window glass. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a rear door glass. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a rear door glass. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the photographing angle of view and the specific range. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an operation on the operation unit in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing in the video display device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between operations and displayed images in the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between operations and displayed images in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a video display device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an operation on the operation unit in the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow in the control device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between operations and displayed images in the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between operations and displayed images in the second embodiment. FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a video display device according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the relative positional relationship between the subject vehicle and other vehicles. FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an operation on the operation unit in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing in the control device according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between operations and displayed images in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between operations and displayed images in the fourth embodiment.

Embodiments of an image display device and an image display method according to the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[First embodiment]
<Video display device>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a video display control device (hereinafter referred to as a "control device") 20 according to the first embodiment.

This embodiment addresses the problem that when a passenger in a moving vehicle is visually checking the surroundings of the moving vehicle, it is difficult to immediately check the conditions and facilities of locations that the moving vehicle has passed through. This embodiment aims to enable a passenger in a moving vehicle to immediately check the conditions and facilities of locations that the moving vehicle has passed through.

The image display device 10 plays back images of the surroundings of a moving object, such as a vehicle, ship, or train, and displays them on a transmissive display panel 14 arranged on the moving object. In this embodiment, the image display device 10 plays back images of the surroundings of the vehicle in the reverse direction and displays them on a transmissive display panel 14 arranged on the vehicle. In the following embodiments, a vehicle will be used as an example of a moving object.

Reverse playback means playing video in the opposite direction to the progression of time, in other words, playing it backwards.

In addition to being installed in a vehicle, the image display device 10 may also be a portable device that can be used in a vehicle. Furthermore, the image display device 10 may also be realized by incorporating the functions or configuration of a device that is pre-installed in the vehicle, a navigation device, etc. The image display device 10 has a camera 11, a recording unit 12, an interface unit (hereinafter referred to as the "IF unit") 13, a transmissive display panel 14, an operation unit 15, and a control device 20.

Camera 11 is a camera that captures the surroundings of the vehicle. For example, camera 11 may be a camera specific to the image display device 10, or a camera for capturing overhead images shared with the overhead image display system. Camera 11 may also be a group of multiple cameras. Camera 11 may be positioned, for example, to capture the front, right, left, and rear of the vehicle. Camera 11 may be provided for each transmissive display panel 14, capturing the surrounding scenery seen through the transmissive display panel 14. In other words, camera 11 is a camera that can capture images in a direction corresponding to the transmissive display panel 14 to which the present invention is applicable. Camera 11 may be positioned, for example, corresponding to each window glass of the vehicle, capturing the surrounding scenery as seen through each window glass. In this embodiment, camera 11 continuously captures images while the vehicle's accessory power is on or while the vehicle is operating. Camera 11 outputs the captured images to the image acquisition unit 21 of the control device 20. The video is a moving image composed of, for example, 27.5 frames per second.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the imaging field of view of a vehicle window glass. As an example, the imaging field of view 200 of the right camera 111, which captures the right side of the vehicle and is one of the multiple cameras that make up the camera 11, will be described. The right camera 111 that captures the right side of the vehicle is located, for example, on the right side mirror. The imaging field of view 200 of the right camera 111 that captures the right side of the vehicle includes a visibility range 201 in which the occupant can see the outside of the vehicle through the right rear door glass 104.

The recording unit 12 is used for temporary storage of data in the video display device 10. The recording unit 12 is, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory, or a recording unit such as a memory card. Alternatively, it may be an external recording unit that is wirelessly connected via a communication device (not shown). The recording unit 12 records loop-recorded video based on a control signal output from the recording control unit 22 of the control device 20. Loop-recorded video is video that has been loop-recorded; loop recording will be described later.

The IF unit 13 is an interface for acquiring vehicle speed information via a CAN (Controller Area Network) or the like.

The transmissive display panel 14 may be, for example, a display device specific to the image display device 10, or a display device shared with other systems, including a navigation system. The transmissive display panel 14 is suitably, for example, a transmissive organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, but is not limited to this and may be of other types. The transmissive display panel 14 is installed around the vehicle, i.e., on the outer periphery of the vehicle, and is transparent when no image is being displayed. The transmissive display panel 14 displays an image of the area around the vehicle. The transmissive display panel 14 displays an image based on a video signal output from the display control unit 28 of the control device 20. The transmissive display panel 14 displays an image captured by the camera 11 or an image recorded in the recording unit 12.

The transmissive display panel 14 is mounted on or forms part of the window glass of a vehicle. When no image is displayed, the transmissive display panel 14 has a transmittance of, for example, 60% or more in the visible light range. When an image is displayed, the transmissive display panel 14 has a transmittance of, for example, less than 20%, or does not transmit light in the area where the image is displayed.

The transmissive display panel 14 can be applied to a window through which the outside of the vehicle can be seen. For example, the transmissive display panel 14 can be applied to at least one of the vehicle's windshield 101, right front door glass 102, left front door glass 103, right rear door glass 104, left rear door glass 105, and rear glass 106, as shown in FIG. 2. In the following explanation, the transmissive display panel 14 will be described as being applied to the vehicle's right rear door glass 104.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of rear door glass. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of rear door glass. The shape of the touch panel, which is the transmissive display panel 14 and operation unit 15, may be the same as the entire shape of the glass to which it is applied, or may be configured as a rectangle smaller than the entire shape of the glass to which it is applied. In the example shown in Figure 3, the shape of the touch panel, which is the transmissive display panel 14 and operation unit 15, is the same as the entire shape of the right rear door glass 104. In the example shown in Figure 4, the shape of the touch panel, which is the transmissive display panel 14 and operation unit 15, is a rectangle smaller than the entire shape of the right rear door glass 104.

The operation unit 15 can accept various operations for the image display device 10. The operation unit 15 can be operated on the surface of the transmissive display panel 14. The operation unit 15 is, for example, a touch panel overlaid on the display screen of the transmissive display panel 14. For example, the operation unit 15 can accept various operations for the touch panel, such as touch operations, swipe operations, and flick operations, like the screen of a smartphone. For example, the operation unit 15 can accept an operation to play back video recorded in the recording unit 12. The operation unit 15 outputs operation information to the operation control unit 25 of the control device 20.

<Control device>
The control device 20 is an arithmetic processing device (control device) configured with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control device 20 loads a stored program into memory and executes instructions contained in the program. The control device 20 includes an internal memory (not shown) that is used for temporary storage of data in the control device 20, etc. The control device 20 has, as its configuration and functions realized by the program, a video acquisition unit 21, a recording control unit 22, an identification unit 24, an operation control unit 25, a vehicle speed information acquisition unit 26, a playback control unit 27, and a display control unit 28.

The image acquisition unit 21 acquires images of the surroundings captured by the camera 11, which captures images of the area around the vehicle. The image acquisition unit 21 may also function as an image capture control unit that controls the image capture operation of the camera 11.

The recording control unit 22 records the video captured by the camera 11 in the recording unit 12. The recording control unit 22 controls the recording of the video captured by the video acquisition unit 21 in the recording unit 12. While the vehicle is operating, such as when the vehicle's accessory power is ON, the recording control unit 22 records the video captured by the video acquisition unit 21 in the recording unit 12 as overwritable video. More specifically, the recording control unit 22 continues to record the video captured by the video acquisition unit 21 in the recording unit 12, and when the capacity of the recording unit 12 becomes full, performs loop recording, in which new video is overwritten over old video. The recording control unit 22 only needs to record the captured video for the length of time required for reverse playback. For example, it is sufficient to loop record video for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. The length of time that can be loop recorded is determined by the recording capacity of the recording unit 12. When there are multiple cameras 11, such as left and right cameras, the recording control unit 22 loop records video from each of them.

The identification unit 24 identifies a predetermined range from the image based on the angle of view of the camera 11 as the specific range to be displayed on the transmissive display panel 14. The identification unit 24 identifies the range in which the occupant can see outside the vehicle through the glass, based on the average face (eye) position of the occupant sitting in the seat closest to the vehicle glass. For example, in the case of the right rear door glass 104, the identification unit 24 identifies the range in which the occupant can see outside the vehicle through the right rear door glass 104, based on the average face (eye) position of the occupant sitting in the right rear seat.

The identification unit 24 may detect the position and direction of the passenger's face and the position and direction of their eyes from video captured by an in-vehicle camera (not shown), and change the specific range to match the position and direction of their eyes. The identification unit 24 may detect the position and direction of the passenger's face and the position and direction of their eyes when operation of the operation unit 15 begins, identify the range when operation of the operation unit 15 begins, and display video of the specific range while operation of the operation unit 15 is in progress.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the imaging angle of view of the camera 11 and the specific range identified by the identification unit 24. The identification unit 24 identifies a specific range 202 to be displayed on the transmissive display panel 14 in the image 200 captured by the camera 11. The identification unit 24 identifies the specific range 202 to match the shape of the transmissive display panel 14. For example, if the transmissive display panel 14 has the shape shown in Figure 3, the identification unit 24 identifies a specific range 202 that has the same shape as the overall shape of the glass to be applied. For example, if the transmissive display panel 14 has the shape shown in Figure 4, the identification unit 24 identifies a rectangular specific range 202.

The operation control unit 25 acquires operation information for operations accepted by the operation unit 15. The operation control unit 25 acquires operation information indicating various operations on the touch panel, such as touch operations, swipe operations, and flick operations, and outputs a control signal. For example, the operation control unit 25 acquires operations along the direction of travel and outputs a control signal indicating the operation information.

Operations along the vehicle's direction of travel are operations in either the front or rear of the vehicle. For example, swiping from front to rear or rear to front, like operating a seek bar that indicates the playback position during video playback. Therefore, for rear door glass located on the side of a vehicle, operations in the left or right direction as viewed from inside the vehicle's cabin are operations along the vehicle's direction of travel.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an operation on the operation unit in the first embodiment. As an example, Figure 6 shows the right rear door glass 104. For example, when a passenger performs a touch operation like on a smartphone screen, the operation control unit 25 outputs a control signal indicating a touch operation to an operation start point P11. For example, when a user performs a swipe operation like on a smartphone screen, the operation control unit 25 outputs a control signal indicating a swipe operation from rear to front as indicated by arrow A1.

The vehicle's direction of travel is basically the forward direction. The present invention does not apply when the vehicle is reversing. Therefore, sensing of the vehicle's direction of travel is not required. In the case of a transmissive display panel 14 disposed on the vehicle's right rear door glass 104, for example, the direction of travel is preset to be left when facing the transmissive display panel 14 from inside the vehicle compartment. In the case of a transmissive display panel 14 disposed on the vehicle's left rear door glass 105, for example, the direction of travel is preset to be right when facing the transmissive display panel 14 from inside the vehicle compartment.

The vehicle speed information acquisition unit 26 acquires vehicle speed information indicating the vehicle speed via a CAN or the like. The vehicle speed information acquisition unit 26 is not a required component of the control device 20.

The playback control unit 27 controls the playback of video. The playback control unit 27 controls the playback of video recorded in the recording unit 12. The playback control unit 27 controls the playback of loop recorded video recorded in the recording unit 12 based on a control signal output from the operation control unit 25.

The playback control unit 27 controls playback of the video in the reverse direction based on the control signal output from the operation control unit 25. When operation of the operation unit 15 is started, the playback control unit 27 causes the transmissive display panel 14 to display the video at the time operation of the operation unit 15 is started, and when the operation direction of the operation unit 15 is operated along the vehicle's traveling direction, the playback control unit 27 controls playback of the video recorded by the recording control unit 22 in the reverse direction starting from the video at the time operation of the operation unit 15 is started. When a touch operation is performed on the transmissive display panel 14, the playback control unit 27 displays the video at the time of the touch operation in a stopped state, and then, when a swipe operation or the like is performed on the transmissive display panel 14, controls playback of the displayed video in the reverse direction.

The playback control unit 27 may control the camera 11 to play back the video being captured in real time. More specifically, when operation of the operation unit 15 is started, the playback control unit 27 may control the transmissive display panel 14 to display the video being captured from the time the operation of the operation unit 15 was started, and when the operation direction of the operation unit 15 is operated along the vehicle's traveling direction, the recording control unit 22 to play back the recorded video in the reverse direction. When a touch operation is performed on the transmissive display panel 14, the playback control unit 27 switches to the video being captured from the time of the touch operation, and then, when a swipe operation or the like is performed on the transmissive display panel 14, controls the displayed video to be played back in the reverse direction.

The playback control unit 27 may change the speed at which the video is played back in the reverse direction based on the operation speed when the operation unit 15 is operated in the direction of vehicle travel. In this embodiment, the playback control unit 27 changes the speed at which the video is played back in the reverse direction based on the amount of swipe operation per unit time, in other words, the operation speed. For example, when the operation speed is about 100 mm/sec, the playback control unit 27 performs playback in the reverse direction at 1x speed. For example, when the operation speed is about 50 mm/sec, the playback control unit 27 performs playback in the reverse direction at 0.5x speed. For example, when the operation speed is about 200 mm/sec, the playback control unit 27 performs playback in the reverse direction at 2x speed. The operation speed and the playback speed may be correlated linearly or in stages.

The playback control unit 27 may change the speed at which the video is played back in the reverse direction based on the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated. More specifically, the playback control unit 27 may change the speed at which the video is played back in the reverse direction based on the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated, based on the vehicle speed information acquired by the vehicle speed information acquisition unit 26. For example, if the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated is between 0 km/h and 20 km/h, the playback control unit 27 performs reverse playback at 0.5x speed. If the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated is between 20 km/h and 60 km/h, the playback control unit 27 performs reverse playback at 1x speed. If the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated is 60 km/h or higher, the playback control unit 27 performs reverse playback at 2x speed. The vehicle's traveling speed and the playback speed may be linearly or stepwise correlated.

The display control unit 28 causes the transmissive display panel 14 to display the image of the range identified by the identification unit 24 in the image played back by the playback control unit 27.

The display control unit 28 controls the display of images on the transmissive display panel 14. Based on a control signal from the playback control unit 27, the display control unit 28 outputs a video signal that causes the image to be output to the transmissive display panel 14. More specifically, the display control unit 28 outputs a video signal that displays the image captured by the camera 11 or the image recorded in the recording unit 12 by playback.

<Information processing in the control device>
Next, the flow of processing in the control device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. While the video display device 10 is running, the processing of the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 is executed.

The control device 20 starts capturing and recording (step S101). More specifically, the image display device 10 starts capturing images of the area around the vehicle using the camera 11. The control device 20 then acquires the image of the area around the vehicle captured by the camera 11 using the image acquisition unit 21. The control device 20 then loop-records the images captured by the camera 11 in the recording unit 12 using the recording control unit 22. The control device 20 proceeds to step S102.

The control device 20 determines whether an operation has started (step S102). More specifically, the control device 20 determines that an operation has started when the operation control unit 25 receives a touch operation on the operation unit 15. If the operation control unit 25 determines that an operation has started (Yes in step S102), the control device 20 proceeds to step S103. If the operation control unit 25 does not determine that an operation has started (No in step S102), the control device 20 proceeds to step S108.

If it is determined that an operation has started (Yes in step S102), the control device 20 displays the image at the start of the operation (step S103). More specifically, the control device 20 uses the identification unit 24 to identify a predetermined range from the image based on the angle of view of the camera 11 as the range to be displayed on the transmissive display panel 14. The control device 20 controls the playback control unit 27 to play back the image when the touch operation of the operation unit 15 started. The control device 20 uses the display control unit 28 to display the image when the touch operation of the operation unit 15 started on the transmissive display panel 14 based on the control signal from the playback control unit 27. The control device 20 proceeds to step S104.

The control device 20 determines whether a swipe operation along the traveling direction has been performed (step S104). More specifically, if the operation control unit 25 receives a swipe operation along the traveling direction of the vehicle on the operation unit 15, the control device 20 determines that a swipe operation along the traveling direction has been performed. If the operation control unit 25 determines that a swipe operation along the traveling direction has been performed (Yes in step S104), the control device 20 proceeds to step S105. If the operation control unit 25 does not determine that a swipe operation along the traveling direction has been initiated (No in step S104), the control device 20 proceeds to step S108.

If it is determined that a swipe operation along the direction of travel has been performed (Yes in step S104), playback of the video in the reverse direction is started (step S105). More specifically, the control device 20 causes the playback control unit 27 to play back the video recorded by the recording control unit 22 in the reverse direction, starting from the video when operation of the operation unit 15 was initiated. The control device 20 causes the display control unit 28 to display the played back video on the transmissive display panel 14 based on a control signal from the playback control unit 27. The control device 20 proceeds to step S106.

The control device 20 determines whether the operation has ended (step S106). More specifically, the control device 20 determines that the operation has ended when the occupant's finger is released from the operation unit 15 in response to the swipe operation started by the operation control unit 25 in step S104. If the operation control unit 25 determines that the operation has ended (Yes in step S106), the control device 20 proceeds to step S107. If the operation control unit 25 does not determine that the operation has started (No in step S106), the control device 20 executes the processing of step S106 again.

If it is determined that the operation has ended (Yes in step S106), the control device 20 ends reverse playback (step S107). More specifically, the control device 20 causes the playback control unit 27 to end reverse playback of the video. The control device 20 causes the display control unit 28 to end displaying the video on the transmissive display panel 14 based on the control signal from the playback control unit 27. The control device 20 proceeds to step S108.

The control device 20 determines whether or not to end the image capture and recording (step S108). For example, the control device 20 determines to end the image capture and recording when the vehicle's power or motive power is turned off or when an end operation is performed on the operation unit 15. If the control device 20 determines to end the image capture and recording (Yes in step S108), it ends this processing. If the control device 20 does not determine to end the image capture and recording (No in step S108), it executes the processing of step S102 again.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between operations and displayed images in the first embodiment. Figure 8 shows time passing to the right. At time ta0, when the touch operation is detected, the recording control unit 22 is recording images from before time ta-2. Furthermore, at time ta0, the camera 11 continues capturing images. The example shown in Figure 8 shows a state in which the passenger starts a touch operation at time ta0, and the finger that performed the touch operation remains stationary until time ta1. The playback control unit 27 plays back the image at time ta0 as a still image from time ta0 to time ta1, and the display control unit 28 displays the played back image on the transmissive display panel 14.

The passenger then swipes in the direction of travel of the vehicle from time ta1 to time ta3. The playback control unit 27 performs reverse playback starting from the video at time ta0, and reverses the video from time ta0 to time ta-2, which is video of the same length as the period from time ta1 to time ta3. Time ta2 indicates a point in time during the swipe operation. The reverse playback point corresponding to time ta2 is time ta-1.

At time ta3 when the swipe operation ends, the playback control unit 27 ends playback, and the display control unit 28 ends the display of the image. Ending the display of the image causes the transmissive display panel 14 to enter a transmissive state.

Even after the finger is released from the operation unit 15 at time ta3 when the swipe operation ends, the playback control unit 27 may continue playback in the reverse direction for, for example, about one second, after which the display control unit 28 may end the display of the video.

At time ta3 when the swipe operation ends, the display control unit 28 may display the image at time ta-2 as a still image for, for example, about one second, and then end the display of the image.

If a swipe operation is performed again in the same direction after time ta3, the playback control unit 27 performs playback in the reverse direction going back further from time ta-2.

Using Figure 8, we will explain how the speed of reverse playback is changed based on the operation speed of the swipe operation. For example, when reverse playback is performed at 0.5x speed, at time ta3, the video up to time ta-1 is played back in the reverse direction. For example, when reverse playback is performed at 2x speed, at time ta3, the video up to time ta-2 is played back in the reverse direction.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between operations and displayed images in the first embodiment. Figure 9 also shows the passage of time to the right. In the example shown in Figure 9, the passenger starts a touch operation at time tb0 and shows no movement of the touching finger until time tb1. The playback control unit 27 plays back the image being captured from time tb0, and the display control unit 28 displays the image on the transmissive display panel 14. The passenger then performs a swipe operation in the direction of travel of the vehicle from time tb1 to time tb3. The playback control unit 27 plays back the image in the reverse direction from time tb1. The playback control unit 27 plays back the image from time tb1 to time tb2, which is an image of the same length as the period from time tb1 to time tb3. Time tb2 indicates a point in time during the swipe operation. The reverse playback point corresponding to time tb2 is time tb1.

<Effects>
As described above, in this embodiment, when operation of the operation unit 15 is started, the transmissive display panel 14 displays the image at the time when operation of the operation unit 15 is started. In this embodiment, when the operation direction of the operation unit 15 is operated along the traveling direction of the vehicle, the recording control unit 22 plays back the recorded image in the reverse direction from the image at the time when operation of the operation unit 15 was started. According to this embodiment, the image can be instantly played back in the reverse direction by operation. According to this embodiment, it is possible for a vehicle occupant to instantly check the conditions of locations and facilities that the vehicle has passed through while traveling.

In this embodiment, when operation of the operation unit 15 is started, the transmissive display panel 14 displays the video that has been captured since operation of the operation unit 15 was started. In this embodiment, when the operation direction of the operation unit 15 is operated along the direction of travel of the vehicle, the recording control unit 22 plays back the recorded video in the reverse direction. According to this embodiment, it is possible to instantly check the conditions of locations and facilities that the vehicle has passed through while traveling from the image being captured.

In this embodiment, the speed at which the video is played back in the reverse direction is changed based on the operation speed when the operation unit 15 is operated in the direction of travel of the vehicle. This embodiment allows the video playback speed to be intuitively changed according to the operation speed.

In this embodiment, the speed at which the video is played back in the reverse direction is changed based on the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated. According to this embodiment, the playback speed can be appropriately changed depending on the vehicle's traveling speed.

[Second embodiment]
An image display device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10 to 14. Fig. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image display device according to a second embodiment. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an operation in an operation unit in the second embodiment. Fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow in a control device according to the second embodiment. Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between an operation and a displayed image in the second embodiment. Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating another example of the relationship between an operation and a displayed image in the second embodiment.

This embodiment addresses the issue that when a vehicle occupant is visually checking the surroundings of the vehicle while it is moving, it is difficult for them to instantly check the past conditions of the surrounding area, including the vehicle's current location. This embodiment aims to enable a vehicle occupant to instantly check the past conditions of the surrounding area, including the current location of the vehicle.

In this embodiment, the image display device 10A displays, on the transmissive display panel 14, an image previously captured at the same position as the vehicle. Depending on the operation direction, the image display device 10A plays back or forward an image of the area around the vehicle and displays it on the transmissive display panel 14.

Video display device 10A has the same basic configuration as video display device 10 of the first embodiment. In the following description, components similar to those of video display device 10 are assigned the same or corresponding reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 16A and a location information acquisition unit 29A, and in the processing performed by video acquisition unit 21A, recording control unit 22A, identification unit 24A, and playback control unit 27A.

The GNSS receiving unit 16A is composed of a GNSS receiver that receives GNSS signals from GNSS satellites. The GNSS receiving unit 16A outputs the received position information signal to the position information acquisition unit 29A of the control device 20.

The location information acquisition unit 29A acquires location information indicating the current location of the vehicle. The location information acquisition unit 29A calculates the location information of the current location of the vehicle using a known method based on the GNSS signals received by the GNSS receiving unit 16A.

The video acquisition unit 21A acquires video that includes location information where the video was captured.

The video acquisition unit 21A may acquire video recorded in the recording unit 12.

The recording control unit 22A records the video captured by the camera 11 in the recording unit 12, associating it with the shooting location. The recording control unit 22A records the video captured by the camera 11 in the recording unit 12 together with the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 29A.

The identification unit 24A identifies the range of the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 21A to be displayed on the transmissive display panel 14.

The playback control unit 27A plays back the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 21A. The playback control unit 27A performs forward playback or reverse playback depending on the operation direction of the operation unit 15.

Forward playback means playing back past footage of the area you plan to travel to. Reverse playback means playing back past footage of the area you have already passed through.

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an operation on the operation unit in the second embodiment. As an example, Figure 11 shows the right rear door glass 104. For example, a passenger swipes from an operation start point P11 along the direction of arrow A1, which is a first direction, like a so-called seek bar. For example, a passenger swipes from an operation start point P12 along the direction of arrow A2, which is a second direction opposite the first direction, like a so-called seek bar.

When operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated, the playback control unit 27A displays on the transmissive display panel 14 video previously captured at the same position as the vehicle was at when operation of the operation unit 15 was initiated, which video was acquired by the video acquisition unit 21A. If the operation direction of the operation unit 15 is operated in a first direction along the vehicle's traveling direction, the playback control unit 27A plays the video in a forward direction. If the operation direction of the operation unit 15 is operated in the opposite direction from the first direction along the vehicle's traveling direction, the playback control unit 27A plays the video in a reverse direction. For example, if a swipe operation is performed in the first direction along the vehicle's traveling direction, the playback control unit 27A plays the past video in a forward direction. For example, if a swipe operation is performed in the opposite direction from the first direction along the vehicle's traveling direction, the playback control unit 27A plays the past video in a reverse direction.

The playback control unit 27A may also play back video footage previously captured at the same position and direction of travel as the vehicle when operation of the operation unit 15 was initiated.

The playback control unit 27A may play back video previously captured by the camera 11 corresponding to the window glass on which the operation unit 15 is located. For example, when the operation unit 15 on the right rear door glass 104 is operated, the playback control unit 27A may play back video previously captured by the camera 11 capturing the right side of the vehicle.

If there are multiple video images captured in the past at the same position and direction as the vehicle when the operation was initiated, the playback control unit 27A may select the most recently captured video image as the playback target.

When a swipe operation in the same direction is repeated, the playback control unit 27A may play back multiple images captured in the past at the same position and direction of travel as the vehicle when the operation was initiated, with each swipe operation becoming an older image.

When there is a plurality of video images captured in the past at the same position and direction of travel as the vehicle when the operation was initiated, the playback control unit 27A may select, for example, video images captured a predetermined period of time ago, such as one year ago, as the playback target. In this case, if a swipe operation in the same direction is repeated, video images captured a predetermined period of time ago, such as one year ago, may be played back, so that older video images are played back with each swipe operation.

For example, in the case of a swipe operation like on a smartphone screen, if you swipe from front to back, in other words, in the first direction, forward playback will be performed. If you swipe from back to front, in other words, in the opposite direction to the first direction, reverse playback will be performed.

The playback control unit 27A may change the speed at which the video is played back based on the operation speed when the operation unit 15 is operated in the direction of travel of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the playback control unit 27A changes the speed of forward playback or reverse playback based on the amount of swipe operation per unit time, in other words, the operation speed. For example, when the operation speed is about 100 mm/sec, the playback control unit 27A performs forward playback or reverse playback at 1x speed. For example, when the operation speed is about 50 mm/sec, the playback control unit 27A performs forward playback or reverse playback at 0.5x speed. For example, when the operation speed is about 200 mm/sec, the playback control unit 27A performs forward playback or reverse playback at 2x speed. The correspondence between the operation speed and the playback speed may be linear or stepwise.

The playback control unit 27A may change the speed at which the video is played back based on the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated. The playback control unit 27A may change the speed at which the video is played back in the forward or reverse direction, depending on the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated, based on the vehicle speed information acquired by the vehicle speed information acquisition unit 26. For example, if the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated is between 0 km/h and 20 km/h, the playback control unit 27A performs forward or reverse playback at 0.5x speed. For example, if the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated is between 20 km/h and 60 km/h, the playback control unit 27A performs forward or reverse playback at 1x speed. For example, if the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated is 60 km/h or higher, the playback control unit 27A performs forward or reverse playback at 2x speed. The vehicle's traveling speed and the playback speed may correspond linearly or in stages.

Next, the processing flow in the control device 20A will be described using Figure 12. The processing in steps S111 and S117 is the same as that in steps S102 and S106 of the flowchart shown in Figure 7.

If it is determined that an operation has been initiated (Yes in step S111), the control device 20A displays video previously captured at the same position as when the operation was initiated (step S112). More specifically, the control device 20A uses the identification unit 24 to identify a predetermined range from the previously captured video as the range to be displayed on the transmissive display panel 14. The control device 20A controls the playback control unit 27A to play back video previously captured at the same position as the vehicle's position when operation of the operation unit 15 was initiated, which video was acquired by the video acquisition unit 21A. The control device 20A uses the display control unit 28 to display the video on the transmissive display panel 14 based on a control signal from the playback control unit 27A. The control device 20A proceeds to step S113.

The control device 20A determines whether a swipe operation has been performed (step S113). More specifically, the control device 20A determines that a swipe operation has been performed when the operation control unit 25 receives a swipe operation on the operation unit 15. If the operation control unit 25 determines that a swipe operation has been performed (Yes in step S113), the control device 20A proceeds to step S114. If the operation control unit 25 does not determine that a swipe operation has been performed (No in step S113), the control device 20A proceeds to step S119.

If it is determined that a swipe operation has been performed (Yes in step S113), the control device 20A determines whether the operation direction is the first direction (step S114). If the control device 20A determines that the operation direction of the swipe operation is the first direction (Yes in step S114), the process proceeds to step S115. If the control device 20A does not determine that the operation direction of the swipe operation is the first direction (No in step S114), the process proceeds to step S116.

If it is determined that the operation direction is the first direction (Yes in step S114), the control device 20A starts forward playback (step S115). More specifically, the control device 20A controls the playback control unit 27A to play back in the forward direction from the image when operation of the operation unit 15 was started. The control device 20A controls the display control unit 28 to display the image on the transmissive display panel 14 based on the control signal from the playback control unit 27A. The control device 20A proceeds to step S117.

If the control device 20A does not determine that the operation direction is the first direction (No in step S114), the control device 20A starts reverse playback of the video (step S116). More specifically, the control device 20A controls the playback control unit 27A to play back the video in the reverse direction from the video when operation of the operation unit 15 was initiated. The control device 20A controls the display control unit 28 to display the video on the transmissive display panel 14 based on the control signal from the playback control unit 27A. The control device 20A proceeds to step S117.

If it is determined that the operation has ended (Yes in step S117), the control device 20A ends playback (step S118). More specifically, the control device 20A causes the playback control unit 27A to end playback of the video. The control device 20A causes the display control unit 28 to end displaying the video on the transmissive display panel 14 based on the control signal from the playback control unit 27A. The control device 20A proceeds to step S119.

The control device 20A determines whether to terminate (step S119). For example, termination is determined when the vehicle's power or power source is turned off, or when a termination operation is performed on the operation unit 15. If the control device 20A determines that termination is to occur (Yes in step S119), it terminates this processing. If the control device 20A does not determine that termination is to occur (No in step S119), it executes the processing of step S113 again.

Figure 13 illustrates an example of processing when a swipe is made in a first direction along the vehicle's traveling direction. Figure 13 shows that time is passing to the right. The playback control unit 27A acquires previously captured and recorded video that includes the same position information as the vehicle's position information at time ta0 when the touch operation is detected. The example shown in Figure 13 shows a state in which the passenger starts a touch operation at time ta0 and the finger that performed the touch operation remains stationary until time ta1. The playback control unit 27A plays back the video from the past video at time tVa0 that includes the same position information and traveling direction as at time ta0 as a still image, and the display control unit 28 displays the video on the transmissive display panel 14.

Then, the passenger performs a swipe operation in a first direction along the vehicle's direction of travel from time ta1 to time ta2. The playback control unit 27A performs forward playback from time tVa0, and forward plays back the video from time tVa0 to time tVa1, which is video of the same length as the period from time ta1 to time ta2.

At time ta2 when the swipe operation ends, the playback control unit 27 ends playback, and the display control unit 28 ends the display of the image. Ending the display of the image causes the transmissive display panel 14 to enter a transmissive state.

Even after the finger is released from the operation unit 15 at time ta2 when the swipe operation ends, the playback control unit 27A may continue playback in the reverse direction for, for example, about one second, after which the display control unit 28 may end the display of the video.

At time ta2 when the swipe operation ends, the display control unit 28 may display the image at time tVa1 as a still image for, for example, about one second, and then end the display of the image.

If another swipe operation is performed in the same direction after time ta2, the playback control unit 27A may continue playback in the forward direction from time tVa1.

Figure 14 illustrates an example of processing when a swipe is made in the direction opposite to the vehicle's direction of travel. Figure 14 also shows that time is passing to the right. The playback control unit 27A acquires previously captured and recorded video that contains the same position information as the vehicle's position information at time tb0 when the touch operation is detected. In the example shown in Figure 14, the passenger begins a touch operation at time tb0, and there is no movement of the finger that performed the touch operation until time tb1. The playback control unit 27A plays back the video at time tVb0, which contains the same position information and direction of travel as at time tb0 in the previous video, as a still image, and the display control unit 28 displays the video on the transmissive display panel 14.

Then, the passenger swipes in the direction opposite to the first direction along the vehicle's direction of travel from time tb1 to time tb2. The playback control unit 27A performs reverse playback from time tVb0, and plays back in the reverse direction the video from time tVb0 to time tVb-1, which is video of the same length as the period from time tb1 to time tb2.

At time tb2 when the swipe operation ends, the playback control unit 27A ends playback, and the display control unit 28 ends the display of the image. Ending the display of the image causes the transmissive display panel 14 to enter a transmissive state.

Even after the finger is released from the operation unit 15 at time tb2 when the swipe operation ends, the playback control unit 27A may continue playback in the reverse direction for, for example, about one second, after which the display control unit 28 may end the display of the video.

At time tb2 when the swipe operation ends, the display control unit 28 may display the image at time tVb-1 as a still image for, for example, about one second, and then end the display of the image.

If a swipe operation is performed again in the same direction after time tb2, the playback control unit 27A may perform playback in the reverse direction from time tVb-1.

As described above, in this embodiment, when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated, the transmissive display panel 14 displays image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 21A and captured in the past at the same position as the vehicle's position when operation of the operation unit 15 was initiated. In this embodiment, when the operation direction of the operation unit 15 is operated in a first direction along the vehicle's traveling direction, the image data is played back in the forward direction. When the operation direction of the operation unit 15 is operated in the opposite direction to the first direction along the vehicle's traveling direction, the image data is played back in the reverse direction. According to this embodiment, the image data can be instantly played back in the reverse or forward direction depending on the operation direction. According to this embodiment, it is possible for a vehicle occupant to instantly check the past state of the surrounding area, including the vehicle's current position.

In this embodiment, the video captured by the camera 11 is recorded in the recording unit 12 along with location information. This embodiment makes it easy to obtain past video of the surrounding area, including the location where the vehicle is currently traveling.

In this embodiment, the video playback speed is changed based on the operation speed when the operation unit 15 is operated in the direction of travel of the vehicle, or the vehicle's moving speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated. According to this embodiment, the video playback speed can be intuitively changed according to the operation speed.

[Third embodiment]
The image display device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an image display device according to a third embodiment. The image display device 10B displays past images captured by other vehicles and stored in an external server on a transmissive display panel 14. The image display device 10B has a basic configuration similar to that of the image display device 10A according to the second embodiment. This embodiment differs from the second embodiment in that it includes a communication unit 17B and in the processing performed by the image acquisition unit 21B.

Video images captured by a camera (not shown) mounted on another vehicle are stored in an external server (not shown) via a communication unit (not shown) of the other vehicle, along with information indicating the time of capture, location, direction of travel, etc.

The external server stores images captured by cameras mounted on multiple vehicles. In response to an image acquisition request from the image display device 10B mounted on each vehicle, the external server transmits the stored images to the image display device 10B. More specifically, the external server receives information indicating the vehicle's current position and traveling direction along with the image acquisition request from the vehicle's image display device 10B. The external server detects, from the stored images previously captured by other vehicles, images that include the same position as the current position of the received vehicle and that are traveling in the same direction as the received vehicle's traveling direction. When multiple images are detected, the external server selects an image based on specified conditions, such as the most recent past or an image from a specified period of time ago. The external server then transmits the detected image to the image display device 10B.

The communication unit 17B is a communication unit. The communication unit 17B may communicate via any method, such as the Internet or a mobile phone line. The communication unit 17B is connected to an external server via a communication network (not shown) so that data can be communicated. The communication unit 17B receives video captured in other vehicles from the external server.

The video acquisition unit 21B acquires video captured by another vehicle. When operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated, the video acquisition unit 21B uses communication via the communication unit 17B to transmit information indicating the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle, along with a video acquisition request, to an external server. The video acquisition unit 21B acquires from the external server video previously captured by another vehicle, which includes the same position as the current position and is in the same traveling direction.

The playback control unit 27B plays back the video received from the external server by the other communication unit 17B and acquired by the video acquisition unit 21B in accordance with the operation direction of the operation unit 15. The processing of the control device 20B in this embodiment is the same as the processing in the second embodiment shown in Figure 12, except that the video to be played back is replaced with video previously captured by another vehicle at the same position as the operation start point. Also, in Figures 13 and 14, the displayed video is video previously captured by another vehicle at the same position as the operation start point.

As described above, in this embodiment, video captured by another moving body can be used to instantly check the past conditions of the surrounding area, including the vehicle's current location.

[Fourth embodiment]
The image display device 10B according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 16 to 20. Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating the relative positional relationship between the subject vehicle and another vehicle. Fig. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an operation in the operation unit in the fourth embodiment. Fig. 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow in the control device according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between an operation and a displayed image in the fourth embodiment. Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating another example of the relationship between an operation and a displayed image in the fourth embodiment.

This embodiment addresses the problem that, when a passenger in a moving vehicle is visually checking the surroundings of the moving vehicle while the vehicle is moving, it is difficult to instantly check the current state of locations that the moving vehicle has passed through as the vehicle has moved, or the current state of locations that the vehicle is scheduled to move to in the future. This embodiment aims to enable a passenger in a moving vehicle to instantly check the current state of locations that the moving vehicle has passed through as the vehicle has moved, or the current state of locations that the vehicle is scheduled to move to in the future, when the passenger in the moving vehicle is visually checking the surroundings of the moving vehicle while the vehicle is moving.

In this embodiment, the image display device 10B plays back images captured by other vehicles in the same direction as the vehicle, or images captured by other vehicles in the opposite direction to the vehicle's direction of travel, depending on the operation direction, and displays them on the transmissive display panel 14. The basic configuration of the image display device 10B is the same as that of the image display device 10B in the third embodiment. In this embodiment, the processing in the image acquisition unit 21B and the playback control unit 27B differs from that in the third embodiment.

The external server acquires images captured by cameras mounted on multiple vehicles. In response to an image acquisition request from the image display device 10B mounted on each vehicle, the external server transmits the acquired images to the image display device 10B. More specifically, the external server receives information indicating the vehicle's current position and direction of travel along with the image acquisition request from the vehicle's image display device 10B. From the accumulated images captured by other vehicles, the external server detects other vehicles that are traveling on the same road within a specified range from the received current position and are capable of transmitting images. The external server then detects images from the detected other vehicles. The external server then transmits the detected images to the image display device 10B.

When the operation unit 15 is operated, the video acquisition unit 21B may be in a state where it can acquire video captured by other vehicles in the direction of travel of the vehicle or in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

The video acquisition unit 21B acquires video, including location information, of the area around the vehicle from other vehicles traveling around the vehicle. The video acquisition unit 21B communicates with an external server using wireless communication via the communication unit 17B to acquire video captured by other vehicles. When operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated, the video acquisition unit 21B begins acquiring video captured by other vehicles traveling around the vehicle.

The video acquisition unit 21B may acquire video from other vehicles that are farther away from the vehicle depending on the number of times the operation unit 15 is operated. For example, the video acquisition unit 21B may acquire video captured by other distant vehicles one by one each time the operation unit 15 is operated.

The video acquisition unit 21B may acquire and play back video from other vehicles that are farther away from the vehicle, the greater the operation amount or operation speed of the operation unit 15. For example, the video acquisition unit 21B may acquire and play back video from other vehicles that are farther away from the vehicle, based on the operation amount per unit time of the swipe operation, in other words, the operation speed. For example, when the operation speed is less than 100 mm/sec, the video acquisition unit 21B acquires and plays back video from the nearest other vehicle or another vehicle located within 100 m. For example, when the operation speed is 100 mm/sec or greater, the video acquisition unit 21B acquires and plays back video from the second-nearest other vehicle or another vehicle located within 100 m to 200 m.

The faster the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated, the more image acquisition unit 21B may acquire images from other vehicles that are farther away from the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated is between 0 km/h and 20 km/h, the image acquisition unit 21B acquires images from the nearest other vehicle or other vehicles located within 100 m. For example, if the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated is between 20 km/h and 60 km/h, the image acquisition unit 21B acquires images from the second nearest other vehicle or other vehicles located within 100 m to 200 m. If the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated is 60 km/h or higher, the image acquisition unit 21B acquires images from the third nearest other vehicle or other vehicles located within 200 m to 500 m.

When the operation unit 15 is operated in a first direction along the vehicle's traveling direction, the playback control unit 27B plays back video footage captured by other vehicles in the vehicle's traveling direction; and when the operation unit 15 is operated in the opposite direction from the first direction along the vehicle's traveling direction, the playback control unit 27B plays back video footage captured by other vehicles in the opposite direction to the vehicle's traveling direction.

The playback control unit 27B plays back video acquired from another vehicle ahead of the vehicle or video acquired from another vehicle behind the vehicle, depending on the direction of operation of the operation unit 15. Playback of video acquired from another vehicle ahead is playback of video of the location where the vehicle is planning to travel. Playback of video acquired from another vehicle behind is playback of video of the location where the vehicle has just passed after the vehicle has passed.

For example, if you operate it from front to rear like a seek bar, it will play back video captured from other vehicles in front, and if you operate it from rear to front, it will play back video captured from other vehicles behind.

For example, when a swipe operation is performed from front to rear, in other words, in a first direction, like on a smartphone screen, video captured from another vehicle in front is played back, and when a swipe operation is performed from rear to front, in other words, in the opposite direction to the first direction, video captured from another vehicle behind is played back.

Figure 17 shows the right rear door glass 104 as an example. For example, a passenger swipes from operation start point P11 along the direction of arrow A1, which is a first direction, like a so-called seek bar. For example, a passenger swipes from operation start point P12 along the direction of arrow A2, which is a second direction opposite the first direction, like a so-called seek bar.

When a second swipe operation is performed in the same direction, the playback control unit 27B acquires and plays back video from another vehicle that is farther away from the host vehicle than the other vehicle played back during the period from time tVc0 to time tVc1. For example, with the first swipe operation, the playback control unit 27B plays back video captured by other vehicle Va, and with the second swipe operation, plays back video captured by other vehicle Vb. Both other vehicle Va and other vehicle Vb are traveling in the same direction on the same road as the host vehicle V. The distance from which video can be acquired may be limited. For example, it may be limited to other vehicles within 1 km of the host vehicle.

The playback control unit 27B may play back video from other vehicles that are farther away from the vehicle as the operation amount or operation speed of the operation unit 15 increases. The playback control unit 27B may generate video from other vehicles that are farther away from the vehicle, for example, based on the operation amount per unit time of the swipe operation, in other words, the operation speed. For example, when the operation speed is less than 100 mm/sec, the playback control unit 27B plays back video from the nearest other vehicle or from other vehicles located within 100 m. For example, when the operation speed is 100 mm/sec or greater, the playback control unit 27B plays back video from the second-nearest other vehicle or from other vehicles located within 100 m to 200 m.

The playback control unit 27B acquires and plays back video from other vehicles at a distance from the host vehicle, based on the vehicle speed information acquired by the vehicle speed information acquisition unit 26, according to the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 was initiated. For example, if the vehicle's traveling speed is between 0 km/h and 20 km/h when operation of the operation unit 15 was initiated, the playback control unit 27B plays back video from the nearest other vehicle or from another vehicle located within 100 m. For example, if the vehicle's traveling speed is between 20 km/h and 60 km/h when operation of the operation unit 15 was initiated, the playback control unit 27B plays back video from the second nearest other vehicle or from another vehicle located within 100 m to 200 m. For example, if the vehicle's traveling speed is 60 km/h or higher when operation of the operation unit 15 was initiated, the playback control unit 27B plays back video from the third nearest other vehicle or from another vehicle located within 200 m to 500 m.

Next, the processing flow in the control device 20 will be described using Figure 18. The processing in steps S121, S123, S124, and S127 to S129 is the same as that in steps S111, S113, S114, and S117 to S119 in the flowchart shown in Figure 12.

If it is determined that an operation has been initiated (Yes in step S121), the control device 20B requests the external server to acquire video captured by other vehicles traveling nearby (step S122). More specifically, the control device 20B causes the video acquisition unit 21B to enable the external server to acquire video, including location information, captured around the vehicle by other vehicles traveling nearby. The control device 20B proceeds to step S123.

If it is determined that the operation direction is the first direction (Yes in step S124), the control device 20B acquires video captured by another vehicle in the direction of travel and starts playing the video (step S125). More specifically, the control device 20B acquires video captured by another vehicle in the direction of travel using the video capture unit 21B. The control device 20B uses the identification unit 24 to identify a predetermined range from the video captured by another vehicle in the direction of travel as the range to be displayed on the transmissive display panel 14. The control device 20B uses the playback control unit 27B to play back the video captured by the other vehicle in the direction of travel acquired by the video capture unit 21B. The control device 20B causes the display control unit 28 to display the video on the transmissive display panel 14 based on a control signal from the playback control unit 27B. The control device 20B proceeds to step S127.

If it is not determined that the operation direction is the first direction (No in step S124), the control device 20B acquires video captured by another vehicle located in the opposite direction of travel and starts playing the video (step S126). More specifically, the control device 20B acquires video captured by another vehicle located in the opposite direction of travel using the video acquisition unit 21B. The control device 20B uses the identification unit 24 to identify a predetermined range from the video captured by the other vehicle located in the opposite direction of travel as the range to be displayed on the transmissive display panel 14. The control device 20B uses the playback control unit 27B to play back the video captured by the other vehicle located in the opposite direction of travel, acquired by the video acquisition unit 21B. The control device 20B uses the display control unit 28 to display the video on the transmissive display panel 14 based on a control signal from the playback control unit 27B. The control device 20B proceeds to step S127.

Figures 19 and 20 illustrate an example of processing when the vehicle's operation unit 15 is operated. At time tc0 when the touch operation is detected, the video acquisition unit 21B requests an external server to acquire video from other vehicles traveling in the same direction on the same road around the vehicle. In the example shown in Figures 19 and 20, the passenger starts the touch operation at time tc0 and does not move the finger that performed the touch operation until time tc1. At time tc0, the playback control unit 27B does not select or play the requested video.

In the example shown in FIG. 19, the passenger swipes in the first direction, which is the vehicle's direction of travel, during the period from time tc1 to time tc2. The playback control unit 27B selects video acquired from another vehicle in the vehicle's direction of travel, performs forward playback from time tc1, and plays back video from time tVc0 to time tVc1, which is video with a duration equivalent to the period from time tc1 to time tc2.

In the example shown in FIG. 20, the passenger swipes in the direction opposite to the first direction, which is the vehicle's direction of travel, during the period from time tc1 to time tc2. The playback control unit 27B selects video acquired from another vehicle located in the opposite direction to the vehicle's direction of travel, performs forward playback from time tc1, and plays back video from time tVc0 to time tVc1, which is video with a duration equivalent to the period from time tc1 to time tc2.

In the example shown in Figures 19 and 20, the display control unit 28 ends the display of the image at time tc2 when the swipe operation ends. Ending the display of the image causes the transmissive display panel 14 to enter a transmissive state.

In the examples shown in Figures 19 and 20, even after the finger is released from the operation unit 15 at time tc2 when the swipe operation ends, the playback control unit 27B may continue playing the video acquired from another vehicle for, for example, about one second, after which the display control unit 28 may end the display of the video.

In the examples shown in Figures 19 and 20, at time tc2 when the swipe operation ends, the display control unit 28 may display the image at time tVc1 as a still image for, for example, about one second, and then end the display of the image.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the operation direction of the operation unit 15 is operated in a first direction along the vehicle's traveling direction, video captured by other vehicles in the vehicle's traveling direction is played back, and when the operation direction of the operation unit 15 is operated in the opposite direction from the first direction along the vehicle's traveling direction, video captured by other vehicles in the opposite direction to the vehicle's traveling direction is played back. According to this embodiment, when a vehicle occupant is viewing the area around the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling, the occupant can instantly check the current conditions of locations that the vehicle has passed through as it travels, and the current conditions of locations where the vehicle is scheduled to travel from now on.

In this embodiment, images from other vehicles at a distance from the vehicle can be acquired depending on the number of times the operation unit 15 is operated.

In this embodiment, the greater the operation amount or operation speed of the operation unit 15, the more video images can be acquired from other vehicles that are farther away from the vehicle.

In this embodiment, the faster the vehicle's traveling speed when operation of the operation unit 15 is initiated, the more video images can be acquired from other vehicles that are farther away from the vehicle.

The image display device 10 according to the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms in addition to the above-described embodiment.

The components of the image display device 10 shown in the figure are functional concepts and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific form of each device is not limited to that shown, and all or part of each device may be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit depending on the processing load and usage status of each device.

The configuration of the video display device 10 is realized, for example, as software, such as a program loaded into memory. In the above embodiment, the functional blocks are described as being realized by the cooperation of these hardware and software. In other words, these functional blocks can be realized in various ways, using only hardware, only software, or a combination of both.

The above-mentioned components include those that would be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially identical. Furthermore, the above-mentioned configurations can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications to the configuration are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

<Modification>
Although the above describes touch operations, swipe operations, and flick operations on the operation unit 15, the present invention is not limited to these. For example, the movement of a hand approaching the transmissive display panel 14 may be captured by an in-vehicle camera (for example, installed above each transmissive display panel), and the operation may be performed by tracing the trajectory of the hand. In this case, the present invention may be applied to an operation in which a hand is brought close to the transmissive display panel 14 (operation start) and then moved in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle. Alternatively, the present invention may be applied to a gesture operation using a ring-shaped device such as a smart ring.

In the fourth embodiment, video acquisition is appropriate from the other vehicle in question, an external server, or streaming from the vehicle itself, and video from other vehicles is not recorded in the vehicle itself.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Image display device 11 Camera 12 Recording unit 13 IF unit 14 Transmissive display panel 15 Operation unit 16A GNSS receiving unit 20 Control device (image display control device)
21 Video acquisition unit 22 Recording control unit 24 Identification unit 25 Operation control unit 26 Vehicle speed information acquisition unit 27 Playback control unit 28 Display control unit 29A Position information acquisition unit 101 Windshield 102 Right front door glass 103 Left front door glass 104 Right rear door glass 105 Left rear door glass 106 Rear glass 200 Field of view 201 Visible range 202 Identification range

Claims (5)

a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information of a moving object;
a transmissive display panel that is installed on the moving body and has transparency;
an image acquisition unit that acquires an image including location information of the surroundings of the other moving body captured by another moving body traveling around the other moving body;
a specifying unit that specifies a range to be displayed on the transmissive display panel in the image acquired by the image acquisition unit;
an operation unit operable on the surface of the transmissive display panel;
a playback control unit that plays back the video acquired by the video acquisition unit;
a display control unit that displays, on the transmissive display panel, an image within the range identified by the identification unit in the image played back by the playback control unit;
Equipped with
the image acquisition unit, when an operation of the operation unit is started, starts acquiring images captured by other moving objects traveling around the moving object;
When the operation direction of the operation unit is operated in a first direction along the traveling direction of the moving body, the playback control unit plays back video images captured by other moving bodies that exist in the traveling direction of the moving body, and when the operation direction of the operation unit is operated in a direction opposite to the first direction along the traveling direction of the moving body, the playback control unit plays back video images captured by other moving bodies that exist in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the moving body.
Video display device. the image acquisition unit acquires images from other moving objects that are farther away from the moving object in accordance with the number of times the operation unit is operated;
2. The image display device according to claim 1. the image acquisition unit acquires images from other moving objects that are farther away from the moving object as the operation amount or operation speed of the operation unit increases;
2. The image display device according to claim 1. the faster the moving speed of the moving object when the operation of the operation unit is started, the more the image acquisition unit acquires images from the other moving object that are farther away from the moving object;
2. The image display device according to claim 1. a step of starting to acquire images captured by other moving objects traveling around the moving object when an operation of an operation unit operable on a surface of a transmissive display panel installed on the moving object is started;
When the operation direction of the operation unit is operated in a first direction along the traveling direction of the moving body, acquiring and playing back video captured by another moving body that exists in the traveling direction of the moving body, and when the operation direction of the operation unit is operated in a direction opposite to the first direction along the traveling direction of the moving body, acquiring and playing back video captured by another moving body that exists in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the moving body;
The image display method is executed by an image display device.