JP7803198B2 - Display system and display control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a display system and display control method for displaying the status of a vehicle.

Technology has been proposed to alert the driver to the need to grip the steering wheel by lighting or flashing a light-emitting element on the vehicle's steering wheel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-007478 A

The above-mentioned conventional technology requires the steering wheel to be equipped with a light-emitting element to alert the driver to the steering wheel grip, which increases vehicle manufacturing costs.

The present invention aims to reduce vehicle manufacturing costs by allowing the driver to recognize that they are gripping the steering wheel without providing a light-emitting element on the steering wheel.

One aspect of the present invention is a display system for displaying a vehicle status, the display system including: a display unit disposed behind a steering wheel of the vehicle and displaying the vehicle status; a control unit controlling the display state of the display unit; and a color temperature detection unit detecting a color temperature inside the vehicle cabin , the control unit displaying specific information on a portion of the display unit corresponding to a circumferential direction of the steering wheel to encourage a driver seated in the driver's seat to grip the steering wheel ; the control unit lowering the color temperature of the specific information as the detected color temperature inside the vehicle cabin increases; and the control unit raising the color temperature of the specific information as the detected color temperature inside the vehicle cabin decreases .

According to the present invention, a display unit that displays the vehicle's status can be used to make the driver aware of how the steering wheel is being gripped, thereby reducing vehicle manufacturing costs.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the interior of a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the interior of a vehicle. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the display system. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of transition of the display state of the display device when a hands-on command is received during autonomous driving. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a modified example of the specific information displayed on the display device. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a modified example of the specific information displayed on the display device. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a display control process in the display control device. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of transition of the display state of the display device. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a display control process in the display control device. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the interior of a vehicle. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the interior of a vehicle. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of transition of the display state of the display area when a hands-on command is received during autonomous driving.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Vehicle interior configuration example]
1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the interior of a vehicle C1. Note that Fig. 1 shows a simplified view of the interior of the vehicle C1 as viewed from the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle C1, and omits illustrations of components other than a dashboard 2, a windshield 3, a rearview mirror 4, a steering wheel 10, an image acquisition device 40, a display device 200, and a car navigation device 300. Fig. 2 shows a simplified cross section of the interior of the vehicle C1 as viewed from the left in the lateral direction of the vehicle C1, and omits illustrations of components other than the dashboard 2, the windshield 3, the steering wheel 10, the image acquisition device 40, and the display device 200.

The display device 200 is a display panel that displays various vehicle information related to the vehicle C1 based on the control of the display control device 100 (see Figure 3). The display device 200 is, for example, a meter display device installed behind the steering wheel 10, wiper switch, light switch, etc. The display device 200 is, for example, a display device in which the entire display surface facing the driver D1 of the vehicle C1 is a display panel. Vehicle information displayed includes, for example, vehicle speed, remaining charge, remaining fuel, and gauges. Figure 1 shows an example in which two meters 201 and 202 and a guide sign 203 that assists the driver D1 in driving are displayed. Note that these displays are merely examples, and the arrangement of the meters, etc., can be changed by user operation or automatically, and other information can be displayed. The display device 200 can be, for example, a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) liquid crystal panel, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel, or other display panels.

In addition, the meters and other devices displayed on the display device 200 are positioned so that they can be seen by the driver D1, taking into account the possibility that they may overlap with the steering wheel 10 and spoke portion 11. Furthermore, meters and other devices are often not displayed in the corners 215, 216 (see Figure 4(B)) of the display screen of the display device 200. Note that, for ease of explanation, the spoke portion 11 is not shown in Figure 4 and subsequent figures.

Note that while Figure 1 shows an example in which the display device 200 and the car navigation device 300 are separate devices, they may also be configured as an integrated device.

The image acquisition device 40 is installed inside the vehicle C1 and captures an image of a subject to generate an image (image data). Information related to the generated image is output to various components, such as the autonomous driving control device 50 (see FIG. 3) and the display control device 100 (see FIG. 3). The image acquisition device 40 is composed of, for example, one or more cameras or image sensors capable of capturing images of subjects inside the vehicle C1. For example, an autonomous driving system can use a camera that detects the line of sight of the driver D1 of the vehicle C1, such as a driver monitor or driver eyepoint recognition device. Furthermore, for example, a camera that captures the face of the driver D1 of the vehicle C1 is mounted in front of the driver D1, such as above the windshield 3, the steering wheel 10, or within the display surface of the display device 200. Figures 1 and 2 show an example in which the image acquisition device 40 is mounted above the windshield 3. Note that these mounting locations are merely examples, and the image acquisition device 40 may be mounted in other locations. The position of the steering wheel 10 can be detected by including the steering wheel 10 in the imaging range of the image acquisition device 40.

[Example of functional configuration of display system]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the display system 1.

The display system 1 includes sensors 20, a steering wheel adjustment device 30, an image acquisition device 40, an automatic driving control device 50, a display control device 100, and a display device 200. The display control device 100 controls the display state of the display device 200 based on signals from the sensors 20, the steering wheel adjustment device 30, the image acquisition device 40, the automatic driving control device 50, etc. Note that while Figure 3 shows an example in which the display control device 100 and the display device 200 are separate devices, they may also be configured as an integrated device.

The sensors 20 are various sensors installed on the vehicle C1, and output their detection values to the control unit 102. The sensors 20 are, for example, an image sensor, millimeter-wave radar, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), sonar, acceleration sensor, wheel measurement sensor, G sensor, and vehicle speed sensor. Note that these are only examples, and other sensors may also be used.

The steering wheel adjustment device 30 is a device that adjusts the position of the steering wheel 10. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the vehicle C1 is equipped with both tilt and telescopic adjustment functions to adjust the position of the steering wheel 10. Note that the vehicle C1 may be equipped with either tilt or telescopic adjustment, or may not have these adjustment functions. Specifically, the vertical position of the steering wheel 10 can be adjusted by tilting, and the fore-aft position of the steering wheel 10 can be adjusted by telescopic operation. The steering wheel adjustment device 30 also includes a position detection device that detects the adjustment amount of the steering wheel 10 and detects the position of the steering wheel 10 after adjustment, and outputs the detected position of the steering wheel 10 after adjustment to the display control device 100. Furthermore, by implementing the steering wheel adjustment device 30 as an electric adjustment device equipped with a motor drive unit, at least one of tilt and telescopic adjustment can be performed electrically.

The autonomous driving control device 50 is a control device that controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle C1. The autonomous driving control device 50 is configured as an integrated computer that includes a storage means, such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination of these, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit). It should be noted that publicly known technology can be used for the autonomous driving system.

For example, the automatic driving control device 50 is realized by an automatic driving unit. The automatic driving control device 50 also outputs various signals related to automatic driving and manual driving to the display control device 100. The display control device 100 also controls the display state of the display device 200 by adjusting the drawing position, etc., based on signals from the automatic driving control device 50.

For example, when autonomous driving is being performed, the autonomous driving control device 50 automatically controls the driving of vehicle C1 based on the driving state of vehicle C1 and information external to vehicle C1. Furthermore, the autonomous driving control device 50 determines whether the environment is such that autonomous driving cannot be continued based on the driving environment around vehicle C1. An example of an environment in which autonomous driving cannot be continued is when white lines cannot be detected on the road on which vehicle C1 is traveling. If the autonomous driving control device 50 determines that the environment is such that autonomous driving cannot be continued, it terminates autonomous driving and switches to manual driving.

Furthermore, if the autonomous driving control device 50 determines that the environment makes it impossible to continue autonomous driving, it determines that the driver D1 needs to grip the steering wheel 10. In this case, the autonomous driving control device 50 outputs a hands-on command to the display control device 100. Furthermore, if the autonomous driving control device 50 detects that the steering wheel 10 is being gripped after outputting the hands-on command, it outputs this to the display control device 100. Note that in addition to displaying specific information by the display control device 100 (see Figure 4, etc.), the autonomous driving control device 50 also executes processing to notify the driver D1 that they are gripping the steering wheel 10, such as generating an alarm. Publicly known technology can be used to notify the driver of this gripping.

The display control device 100 includes a position detection unit 101, a control unit 102, a memory unit 103, and a drawing processing unit 104. The display control device 100 is realized, for example, by a meter unit that draws meters such as vehicle speed. The vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of the vehicle C1 may also be used as the display control device 100, or another control device may also be used as the display control device 100.

The position detection unit 101 detects the position of the driver D1's eyes E1 and the position of the steering wheel 10, and outputs the detection results to the control unit 102. For example, the position detection unit 101 detects the position of the steering wheel 10, such as the height H2 and distance L2 of the steering wheel 10 (see Figure 2), based on position information of the steering wheel 10 output from the steering wheel adjustment device 30. The position detection unit 101 also detects the position of the driver D1's eyes E1, such as the height H1 and distance L1, based on the captured image output from the image acquisition device 40. These detection methods and the method of adjusting the specific information based on the detection results will be described in detail with reference to Figure 4.

The control unit 102 controls each unit based on various programs stored in the memory unit 103. The control unit 102 is realized, for example, by a processing device such as a CPU. For example, the control unit 102 executes control to control the display state of the display device 200. For example, the control unit 102 causes the display device 200 to display various meters, etc. Furthermore, for example, when the control unit 102 receives a hands-on command from the automatic driving control device 50 during automatic driving, it causes the display device 200 to display specific information. Display examples of this specific information will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 to 6.

The storage unit 103 is a storage medium that stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 103 stores various types of information (e.g., control programs, information for displaying specific information) required for the control unit 102 to perform various processes. Note that the storage unit 103 may be, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a combination of these.

The drawing processing unit 104 performs drawing processing to draw various images on the display screen of the display device 200 based on the control of the control unit 102.

[Example of control of display state of display device]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of transition of the display state of the display device 200 when a hands-on command is received during autonomous driving.

Figure 4 (A) shows the display state of the display device 200 during autonomous driving. During autonomous driving, meters 201, 202, guide signs 203, etc. are displayed on the display device 200, similar to the example shown in Figure 1.

As shown in FIG. 4(A), the overlapping portion of the display screen of the display device 200 that is on an extension of the driver D1's eye E1 and the steering wheel 10 and overlaps with the steering wheel 10 is not visible to the driver D1. On the other hand, the remaining portion of the display screen of the display device 200 other than the overlapping portion is visible to the driver D1.

In general, the meters and other indicators displayed on the display device 200 are often designed to be large, taking into account the possibility that they may overlap with the steering wheel 10. This allows both tall and short people to properly view the meters and other indicators. Furthermore, meters and other indicators are often not displayed in the corners 215 and 216 of the display screen of the display device 200, which are likely to overlap with the steering wheel 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which specific information 210 is displayed to encourage the driver D1 to grip the steering wheel 10, using the portions of the display screen of the display device 200 where the meters and other indicators are not displayed. This allows the specific information 210 to be properly displayed without having to move the displayed meters and other indicators. While this embodiment shows an example in which the specific information 210 and the meters and other indicators are not displayed overlapping each other, the specific information 210 and the meters and other indicators may be displayed overlapping each other.

Figure 4 (B) shows the display state of the display device 200 after a hands-on command is output from the automatic driving control device 50 during automatic driving.

Here, the timing at which a hands-on command is output from the automatic driving control device 50 will be described. In this embodiment, two types of automatic driving will be assumed. Specifically, a type of automatic driving (type 1) in which the steering wheel 10 must be held at all times, and a type of automatic driving (type 2) in which the hands can be taken off the steering wheel 10 if certain conditions are met will be described. In the case of type 1, the steering wheel 10 must be held at all times, so when the hands are taken off the steering wheel 10 while driving, a hands-on command is output from the automatic driving control device 50 and a warning process is executed in the vehicle C1 to prompt the driver D1 to hold the steering wheel 10. This warning process is performed by alerting the driver D1 by voice or other means.

In the second type, if certain conditions are met, it is possible to take your hands off the steering wheel 10, and so if these conditions are met, a hands-off command is output from the automatic driving control device 50. Furthermore, if certain conditions are not met, for example, if the environment becomes such that continued automatic driving is not possible, a hands-on command is output from the automatic driving control device 50, and a warning process is executed in the vehicle C1 to require the driver to hold the steering wheel 10.

In this way, when a hands-on command is output from the automatic driving control device 50, specific information (specific display) 210 is displayed to remind the driver D1 to grip the steering wheel 10. Here, the specific information 210 is a display to encourage the driver D1 to grip the steering wheel 10, and is a display that highlights the portion of the display device 200 that corresponds to the circumferential direction of the steering wheel 10. In other words, the specific information 210 is displayed on a structure in front of the display device 200, i.e., around the steering wheel 10, to highlight this structure. In other words, the specific information 210 is a display that highlights the portion of the steering wheel 10 that should be gripped. This makes it possible to make the gripping position of the steering wheel 10 appear to glow.

The portion corresponding to the circumferential direction of the steering wheel 10 is, for example, the portion that follows the circumferential outline of the steering wheel 10, and indicates the overlapping portion that overlaps with the steering wheel 10 and portions 211 to 214 that are close to that overlapping portion. In other words, it is the portion that follows the circular shape of the steering wheel 10, and indicates the portions 211 to 214 that are close to the steering wheel 10 on the display screen of the display device 200. In other words, the specific information 210 is a display that highlights the structure in front of the display device 200, i.e., the shape of the steering wheel 10.

As shown in FIG. 4(B), the specific information 210 can be displayed in darker colors in portions 211 to 214 closest to the steering wheel 10, and can change to lighter colors as the distance from the steering wheel 10 increases. For example, the specific information 210 can be hidden in corners 215 and 216 of the display screen and in the center portion 217 at the bottom of the display screen. This allows the steering wheel 10 to be highlighted without the steering wheel 10 itself being illuminated. Furthermore, it is possible to create a display that appears as if the back of the steering wheel 10 is illuminated, even without illuminating the back of the steering wheel 10. In other words, it is possible to create a display that appears as if there is a light source on the back of the steering wheel 10 and that is illuminating the steering wheel 10 from that light source, i.e., an indirect lighting display. In other words, it is possible to create a display that appears as if a halo is shining on the steering wheel 10.

In this way, this embodiment shows an example in which the specific information 210 is displayed in a vague manner along the outline of the steering wheel 10. Note that the specific information 210 may or may not be displayed in the overlapping portion that overlaps with the steering wheel 10 as seen by the driver D1. However, depending on the height of the driver D1's eyes E1 and the position of the steering wheel 10, the overlapping portion of the steering wheel 10 may be misaligned when seen by the driver D1. Therefore, by displaying the specific information 210 in the overlapping portion that overlaps with the steering wheel 10 as seen by the driver D1, it is possible to reduce the discomfort caused by this misalignment.

In other words, on the display screen of the display device 200, the specific information 210 is displayed on a first portion that is on an extension of the driver D1's eye E1 and the steering wheel 10 and overlaps with the steering wheel 10, but is not visible to the driver D1, and second portions 211 to 214 that are not overlapping with the steering wheel 10 and are visible to the driver D1, but are close to the first portion.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the color of the specific information 210 be a color that is easy for the driver D1 to recognize. For example, it can be yellow, red, etc. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the specific information 210 is yellow.

In addition, if the display device 200 is a device capable of emitting light forward, the light from the display device 200 may be emitted at the gripping position of the steering wheel 10 to achieve the above-mentioned highlighting.

Figure 4 (C) shows the display state of the display device 200 after the automatic driving control device 50 outputs a signal indicating that the steering wheel 10 has been gripped, when the specific information 210 is displayed on the display device 200. In this way, when the automatic driving control device 50 outputs a signal indicating that the steering wheel 10 has been gripped, the specific information 210 is hidden. This allows the driver D1 to easily understand that the steering wheel 10 has been recognized as being gripped. Furthermore, by hiding the specific information 210 and displaying only information necessary for driving, such as meters 201 and 202, the driver D1 can concentrate on driving.

A known detection method can be used to detect whether the steering wheel 10 is being gripped. For example, a detection method can be used that detects whether the steering wheel 10 is being gripped when a load equal to or greater than a predetermined value is detected on the steering wheel 10. The automatic driving control device 50 also functions as a grip detection unit that detects whether the driver D1 is gripping the steering wheel 10.

Note that while Figure 4 shows an example in which the specific information 210 is displayed when switching from automated driving to manual driving, the specific information 210 does not need to be displayed if the driver D1 is holding the steering wheel 10 when switching from automated driving to manual driving. This reduces the amount of calculation required for displaying the specific information 210, and also reduces power consumption.

[Example of adjusting the position of specific information]
Here, the relationship between the height of the eyes E1 of the driver D1, the height of the steering wheel 10, and the display screen of the display device 200 will be described.

For example, tall people and short people have different eye heights, which results in a different relationship between the height of the steering wheel 10 and the display screen of the display device 200. That is, for tall people, the eyes are in a higher position, so the steering wheel 10 appears to be in a lower position when viewed from the display device 200. On the other hand, for short people, the eyes are in a lower position, so the steering wheel 10 appears to be in a higher position when viewed from the display device 200.

Here, the position of the steering wheel 10 can be detected by the steering wheel adjustment device 30 (see Figure 3), which performs tilt and telescopic operations. Furthermore, if an image of the steering wheel 10 can be acquired by the image acquisition device 40, the position of the steering wheel 10 can be obtained based on that image.

When the position of the steering wheel 10 is adjusted, the relationship between the height H2 of the steering wheel 10 and the display screen of the display device 200 will change. Therefore, in this embodiment, the position of the specific information 210 on the display device 200 is adjusted based on the position of the driver D1's eye E1 and the position of the steering wheel 10. The position of the driver D1's eye E1 can be obtained, for example, based on a captured image acquired by the image acquisition device 40. Note that known image recognition technology can be used to detect the eye E1 included in the face of the driver D1 and to calculate the depth distance of the eye E1.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to determine the height H1 of driver D1's eye E1 relative to the bottom of display device 200, and the distance L1 from display device 200 to driver D1's eye E1. It is also possible to determine the height H2 of the top of the steering wheel 10 relative to the bottom of display device 200, and the distance L2 from display device 200 to the top of the steering wheel 10. In this case, it is possible to determine the height H3 of the top of the overlapping portion of display device 200 with steering wheel 10 as seen by driver D1 using a triangle similarity condition or an arithmetic formula previously established based on experimental data, etc. This makes it possible to identify the overlapping portion of display device 200 with steering wheel 10 as seen by driver D1.

Note that the overlapping portion of the steering wheel 10 on the display device 200 may be determined using only either the position of the driver D1's eyes E1 or the position of the steering wheel 10. Also, specific information may be displayed with the overlapping portion of the steering wheel 10 on the display device 200 fixed, regardless of the position of the driver D1's eyes E1 or the position of the steering wheel 10. Even in this case, it is possible to reduce deviations to a certain extent, as described above.

[Modification of specific information]
5 and 6 are diagrams showing modified examples of specific information displayed on the display device 200. Note that specific information 221, 222, and 230 shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are modified examples of specific information 210 shown in Fig. 4, and have different display formats. Further, a description of parts common to specific information 210 shown in Fig. 4 will be omitted.

Figure 5 shows an example of a display in which a sign showing the shape of a hand is displayed as specific information 221, 222. The specific information 221, 222 is displayed so that the sign showing the shape of a hand is attached to the position where the driver D1 grips the steering wheel 10. Furthermore, the specific information 221, 222 is displayed to highlight the portion of the display device 200 that corresponds to the circumferential direction of the steering wheel 10.

It is preferable that the color of the specific information 221, 222 be a color that is easy for the driver D1 to recognize. For example, it can be yellow, red, etc. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the information is highlighted in yellow.

In Figure 5, an example is shown in which signs showing the shape of a stationary hand are displayed as specific information 221, 222 to explain the operation of the forward structure, i.e., the steering wheel 10. However, a moving sign may also be displayed as specific information to explain the operation of the forward structure, i.e., the steering wheel 10. For example, the shape of a hand gripping the steering wheel 10 may be animated and displayed as a moving sign.

Figure 6 shows other specific information 230 that highlights the portion of the display device 200 that corresponds to the circumferential direction of the steering wheel 10. In other words, the specific information 230 is a display that highlights the portion of the steering wheel 10 that is gripped.

Figure 6 shows an example in which the area close to the steering wheel 10 is displayed with a thick dotted line, and as the area moves away from the steering wheel 10, the line changes to a thin dotted line, creating specific information 230.

It is also preferable that the color of the specific information 230 be a color that is easy for the driver D1 to recognize. The color may also change as the information moves away from the steering wheel 10. For example, it may be yellow, red, or the like. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the information is highlighted in yellow.

The display examples shown in Figures 4 to 6 are merely examples, and highlighting may be performed in other display formats. For example, multiple arrows may be displayed along the outline of the steering wheel 10, or specific information may be displayed only on the gripping portion of the steering wheel 10. Furthermore, the specific information may be displayed by flashing at a predetermined interval, or in a combination of different colors.

[Example of operation of display control device]
7 is a flowchart showing an example of a display control process in the display control device 100. This display control process is executed by the control unit 102 based on a program stored in the storage unit 103. This display control process is constantly executed for each control cycle. This display control process will be described with appropriate reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

In step S501, the control unit 102 determines whether the vehicle C1 is in autonomous driving mode based on a command from the autonomous driving control device 50. If the vehicle C1 is in autonomous driving mode, the process proceeds to step S502. On the other hand, if the vehicle C1 is not in autonomous driving mode, the display control process ends.

In step S502, the control unit 102 determines whether or not a hands-on command has been received from the automatic driving control device 50. If a hands-on command has been received, the process proceeds to step S503. On the other hand, if a hands-on command has not been received, the display control processing operation is terminated.

In step S503, the control unit 102 controls the drawing processing unit 104 to control the display state of the display device 200 so that the specific information is displayed in a portion corresponding to the circumferential direction of the steering wheel 10. For example, the specific information 210 shown in FIG. 4(B), the specific information 221 and 222 shown in FIG. 5, or the specific information 230 shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display device 200.

In step S504, the control unit 102 determines whether or not gripping of the steering wheel 10 by the driver D1 has been detected. Note that if the automatic driving control device 50 outputs a signal indicating that gripping of the steering wheel 10 has been detected, the control unit 102 determines that gripping of the steering wheel 10 has been detected. If gripping of the steering wheel 10 is detected, the process proceeds to step S505. On the other hand, if gripping of the steering wheel 10 is not detected, the process proceeds to step S506.

In step S505, the control unit 102 controls the drawing processing unit 104 to control the display state of the display device 200 so as to hide the specific information displayed in the circumferential direction of the steering wheel 10. For example, as shown in Figure 4 (C), the specific information 210 is hidden.

In step S506, the control unit 102 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the specific information was first displayed in step S503. If the predetermined time has elapsed since the specific information was displayed, the process proceeds to step S507. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed since the specific information was displayed, the process returns to step S503. This predetermined time is a value that can be set appropriately based on experimental data, etc., and can be set to a value of several seconds, for example.

In step S507, the control unit 102 executes an attention-calling process to prompt the driver D1 to grip the steering wheel 10. This attention-calling process, for example, displays other information related to the attention call and outputs audio related to the attention call. For example, the color or shape of the specific information can be changed to display the information related to the attention call. For example, the color of the specific information 210 can be changed from yellow to red to alert the driver D1. Alternatively, for example, the driver D1 can be alerted by sounding a buzzer.

In step S508, the control unit 102 determines whether or not gripping of the steering wheel 10 by the driver D1 is detected. If gripping of the steering wheel 10 is detected, the process proceeds to step S505. On the other hand, if gripping of the steering wheel 10 is not detected, the process proceeds to step S509.

In step S509, the control unit 102 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the initial start of the attention process in step S507. If the predetermined time has elapsed since the attention process, the process proceeds to step S510. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed since the attention process, the process returns to step S507. This predetermined time is a value that can be set appropriately based on experimental data, etc., and can be set to a value of several seconds, for example. It is also preferable to set this value to a shorter value than the predetermined time indicated in step S506.

In step S510, the control unit 102 executes processing to stop the vehicle C1. Specifically, based on an instruction from the automatic driving control device 50, the control unit 102 causes the display device 200 to display a message indicating that the vehicle C1 is to be stopped.

[Example of adjusting the brightness of specific information]
The above describes an example in which the specific information is displayed at a preset brightness. The brightness inside the vehicle C1 can be detected based on the captured image acquired by the image acquisition device 40. Alternatively, the brightness inside the vehicle C1 can be detected using another sensor, such as a light sensor. Therefore, the control unit 102 may adjust the brightness of the specific information based on the detected brightness inside the vehicle C1. For example, when driving on a dark road at night, the vehicle interior becomes dark, so the brightness of the specific information is set low so that the driver D1 can easily see it. On the other hand, when driving during the day on a sunny day, the vehicle interior becomes bright, so the brightness of the specific information is set high so that the driver D1 can easily see it. In this way, the control unit 102 can adjust the brightness of the specific information higher as the detected brightness inside the vehicle interior increases. This makes it possible to display the specific information at an appropriate brightness depending on the brightness inside the vehicle interior.

[Example of adjusting the color temperature of specific information]
The above example illustrates the display of specific information at a preset color temperature. The color temperature of the interior of the vehicle C1 can be detected based on the captured image acquired by the image acquisition device 40. Alternatively, the color temperature of the interior of the vehicle C1 can be detected using another sensor, such as a color temperature sensor. Therefore, the control unit 102 may adjust the color temperature of the specific information based on the detected color temperature of the interior. For example, if the detected color temperature of the interior is close to red, the color temperature of the specific information may be set to a color close to blue to make it easier for the driver D1 to see. In this manner, the color temperature of the specific information can be adjusted so that the relationship between the detected color temperature of the interior and the color temperature of the specific information is a highly contrasting color scheme, i.e., a complementary color relationship. For example, a combination of yellow-green and purple, green and reddish-purple, or red and blue-green has a complementary color relationship. In this manner, the control unit 102 lowers the color temperature of the specific information as the detected color temperature of the interior increases, and sets the color temperature of the specific information higher as the detected color temperature of the interior decreases. This enables the specific information to be displayed at an appropriate color temperature according to the color temperature of the interior.

In this way, the display device 200, which displays meters and other information provided to the driver D1, can be used to display specific information to encourage the driver D1 to grip the steering wheel 10. This allows the driver D1 to easily recognize that the steering wheel 10 is being gripped without the need to provide a new light-emitting device (e.g., LED, circuit board, harness, etc.) to the steering wheel 10, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of the vehicle C1.

Specifically, when switching from automated driving to manual driving, there is no need to illuminate the steering wheel 10 to encourage the driver to grip the steering wheel 10, and therefore there is no need to provide a light-emitting device for this illumination on the steering wheel 10. This reduces the manufacturing costs of the vehicle C1. Furthermore, the same effect can be achieved with existing equipment, without having to install costly light sources such as LEDs on the steering wheel 10. Furthermore, structures in front of the display device 200, i.e., the steering wheel 10 itself, can be highlighted without having to illuminate the structures. In other words, it is possible to achieve a display that appears as if there is a light source on the back of the steering wheel 10, providing indirect lighting.

In addition, by adjusting the display position of the specific information 210, etc. based on the adjusted position of the steering wheel 10 and the position of the driver D1's eyes E1, it is possible to display the specific information 210, etc. more appropriately. In addition, by adjusting the brightness and color temperature of the specific information based on the brightness and color temperature inside the vehicle C1, it is possible to display the specific information appropriately according to the interior conditions of the vehicle.

[Example of displaying specific information of other aspects during automated driving]
The above describes an example in which specific information is displayed on the display device 200 when a hands-on command is output during autonomous driving, but specific information is not displayed on the display device 200 during autonomous driving. Here, some information may be displayed on the display device 200 to notify the driver D1 that he or she does not need to grip the steering wheel 10 even during autonomous driving. Therefore, Figures 8 and 9 show examples in which other types of specific information are displayed during autonomous driving.

[Example of control of display state of display device]
Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of transition of the display state of the display device 200. Note that the examples shown on the left and right sides of the upper part of Fig. 8 correspond to Fig. 4(B) and (C), and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

As shown in the lower part of Figure 8, when a hands-off command is issued during manual driving, specific information 240 indicating this is displayed on display device 200. Here, specific information 240 is specific information in a different form from specific information 210. For example, specific information 240 and specific information 210 can be displayed in different colors. For example, specific information 210 can be displayed in yellow and specific information 240 in blue. Furthermore, specific information 210 is displayed after a hands-on command is issued during automated driving, and is hidden if driver D1 is detected as holding the steering wheel 10 after this display. On the other hand, specific information 240 is displayed after a hands-off command is issued during manual driving, and continues to be displayed during automated driving. This allows driver D1 to easily understand that automated driving is in progress and that he or she does not need to hold the steering wheel 10.

[Example of operation of display control device]
9 is a flowchart showing an example of display control processing in the display control device 100. This display control processing is a modification of the display control processing shown in FIG. 7, and differs in that specific information 240 is displayed even during autonomous driving. For this reason, in FIG. 9, parts that are common to FIG. 7 are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions of these parts will be omitted.

In step S502, the control unit 102 determines whether a hands-on command has been received from the automatic driving control device 50, and if a hands-on command has not been received, proceeds to step S521.

In step S521, the control unit 102 controls the drawing processing unit 104 to control the display state of the display device 200 so as to display specific information in different forms in corresponding circumferential portions of the steering wheel 10. For example, the specific information 240 shown in Figure 8 is displayed on the display device 200.

In this way, when a hands-on command is received, yellow specific information 210 is displayed on display device 200, and when a hands-off command is received, blue specific information 240 is displayed on display device 200. In other words, the display format of display device 200 changes when a hands-on command is received and when a hands-off command is received. This allows driver D1 to easily understand the timing when the hands-on command is received and it becomes necessary to grip the steering wheel 10, and the timing when the hands-off command is received and it becomes unnecessary to grip the steering wheel 10.

[Example of application to HUD]
The above describes an example in which specific information is displayed on the display device 200, which is disposed on the back of the steering wheel 10 and displays the vehicle speed, instruments, etc. of the vehicle C1. Here, an example in which the present invention is applied to a vehicle C1a equipped with a HUD (Head Up Display) will be described. Note that the modified examples described below are modified examples of the present embodiment, and therefore, the same reference numerals will be used to designate parts common to the present embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the same reference numerals will be used to designate parts corresponding to the present embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate. For example, the windshield 3a corresponds to the windshield 3 shown in FIG. 1, etc.

[Vehicle interior configuration example]
10 and 11 are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the interior of the vehicle C1a. Note that Fig. 11 shows a simplified view of the interior of the vehicle C1a as viewed from the rear side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle C1a, and omits illustrations of components other than the dashboard 2, windshield 3a, rearview mirror 4, steering wheel 10, and image acquisition device 40. Fig. 11 also shows a simplified cross section of the interior of the vehicle C1a as viewed from the left side in the lateral direction of the vehicle C1a, and omits illustrations of components other than the dashboard 2, windshield 3a, steering wheel 10, image acquisition device 40, and display device 400.

As shown in FIG. 11, a display device 400 for realizing a HUD for the vehicle C1A is provided on the top surface of the dashboard 2 near the boundary with the windshield 3a.

The display device 400 is a display device, such as a projector or optical system, that projects light onto the display area 200a of the windshield 3a and uses the reflected light to create a HUD display that shows a virtual image to the driver D1. That is, the light projected from the display device 400 onto the display area 200a of the windshield 3a is reflected by the windshield 3a, and the reflected light heads toward the eyes of the driver D1. The reflected light projected onto the display area 200a and entering the eyes of the driver D1 is then displayed together with actual objects visible through the windshield 3a, superimposed on those objects. In this way, the display device 400 creates a HUD display by displaying a virtual image using the windshield 3a.

For example, the display device 400 displays various vehicle information and specific information 250 (see Figure 12) related to the vehicle C1a in the display area 200a based on the control of the display control device 100 (see Figure 3).

The windshield 3a is a shield (e.g., a windshield) provided at the front of the vehicle C1a and functions as a display medium for the vehicle C1a's HUD.

The windshield 3a may be made of glass or other materials. For example, if the windshield 3a is made of laminated glass consisting of rear glass, front glass, and an interlayer film, the refraction of light can be controlled by forming the cross section of the interlayer film into a wedge shape. In other words, the laminated glass is formed so that the rear glass and front glass form a V-shape in cross section. This allows the windshield 3a to function as a display medium for the HUD.

[Example of control of display state of display device]
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of transition of the display state of the display area 200a when a hands-on command is received during autonomous driving.

As shown in FIG. 12, during autonomous driving, meters 201, 202, guide signs 203, etc. are displayed in the display area 200a, similar to the example shown in FIG. 4, etc. Furthermore, if a hands-on command is output from the autonomous driving control device 50 during autonomous driving, specific information 250 is displayed in the display area 200a. Note that, similar to the examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, other specific information may be displayed. Furthermore, similar to the above-mentioned examples, the display position of the specific information 250 may be adjusted based on the position of the steering wheel 10 and the position of the driver D1's eyes E1, and the brightness and color temperature of the specific information may be adjusted based on the brightness and color temperature inside the vehicle C1. Furthermore, similar to the example shown in FIG. 8, specific information may be displayed in other ways during autonomous driving.

[Configuration and Effects of This Embodiment]
A display system 1 according to this embodiment is a display system that displays the status of a vehicle C1 (or C1a, the same applies hereinafter). The display system 1 includes a display device 200 (or a display area 200a, the same applies hereinafter) (an example of a display unit) that is disposed on the back of a steering wheel 10 of the vehicle C1 and displays the status of the vehicle C1, and a display control device 100 (an example of a control unit) that controls the display state of the display device 200. The display control device 100 displays specific information 210 (or specific information 221, 222, 230, 250, the same applies hereinafter) on a portion of the display device 200 that corresponds to the circumferential direction of the steering wheel 10, to encourage a driver D1 seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle C1 to grip the steering wheel 10.

With this configuration, the driver D1 can be made aware of the driver's grip on the steering wheel 10 using the display device 200, which displays the state of the vehicle C1, without providing a light-emitting element on the steering wheel 10. In this way, by utilizing the display device 200, which has traditionally displayed meters and other information to the driver D1, the manufacturing costs of the vehicle C1 can be reduced.

The vehicle C1 equipped with the display system 1 is a vehicle capable of both automated and manual driving. Furthermore, the display control device 100 hides the specific information 210 when the vehicle C1 is being driven autonomously, and displays the specific information 210 on the display device 200 when a command to grip the steering wheel 10 is received while the vehicle is being driven autonomously. For example, as shown in FIG. 4(B), when a command to grip the steering wheel 10 is received while the vehicle is being driven autonomously, the specific information 210 is displayed on the display device 200.

With this configuration, when switching from automated driving to manual driving, it is possible to display specific information 210 on the display device 200 at the appropriate time to encourage the driver to grip the steering wheel 10.

The display system 1 further includes an automatic driving control device 50 (an example of a grip detection unit) that detects the driver D1 gripping the steering wheel 10. Furthermore, after the display control device 100 displays specific information 210 on the display device 200 in response to a grip command from the automatic driving control device 50, if gripping of the steering wheel 10 is detected, the display control device 100 hides the specific information 210.

With this configuration, when gripping of the steering wheel 10 is detected, the specific information 210 is hidden, making the display status of the display device 200 easier for the driver D1 to see while manually driving.

In the display system 1, when autonomous driving is being performed in the vehicle C1, the display control device 100 causes the display device 200 to display specific information 240 (an example of second specific information) in a form different from the specific information 210, and when a command to grip the steering wheel 10 is received during autonomous driving, causes the display device 200 to hide the specific information 240 and display the specific information 210. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the display of the specific information 210 and 240 can be switched.

With this configuration, when autonomous driving is being performed in the vehicle C1, the specific information 240 is displayed, allowing the driver D1 to easily understand that autonomous driving is being performed and that they do not need to hold the steering wheel 10.

In the display system 1, the display control device 100 displays the specific information 210 by highlighting the portion along the circumferential contour of the steering wheel 10 on the display screen of the display device 200.

With this configuration, it is possible to make the grip position of the steering wheel 10 appear to emit light, without the steering wheel 10 itself being illuminated. In other words, it is possible to create a display mode similar to indirect lighting.

The display system 1 further includes a position detection unit 101 (an example of an eye detection unit) that detects the position of the eye E1 of the driver D1 seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle C1. Furthermore, the display control device 100 vertically shifts the portion of the display device 200 that displays the specific information 210 based on the detected position of the eye E1.

This configuration makes it possible to display the specific information 210 at an appropriate position according to the position of the driver D1's eye E1. This makes it easier for the driver D1 to see the specific information 210 on the display device 200.

The display system 1 further includes a position detection unit 101 (an example of a position detection unit) that detects the position of the steering wheel 10. Furthermore, the display control device 100 vertically moves the portion of the display device 200 that displays the specific information 210 based on the detected position of the steering wheel 10.

This configuration allows the specific information 210 to be displayed in an appropriate position according to the position of the steering wheel 10. This makes it easier for the driver D1 to see the specific information 210 on the display device 200.

In the display system 1, the display control device 100 displays signs as specific information 221, 222 so that signs indicating the shape of the hands are attached to the position where the steering wheel 10 is gripped. For example, the specific information 221, 222 is displayed as shown in FIG. 5.

With this configuration, by displaying signs showing the shape of a hand as specific information 221, 222, it is possible to display specific information that is even easier for driver D1 to recognize.

The display system 1 further includes a control unit 102 (an example of a brightness detection unit) that detects the brightness inside the vehicle C1. The higher the level of brightness detected inside the vehicle C1, the higher the brightness of the specific information 210 is set by the display control device 100.

This configuration makes it possible to display specific information at an appropriate brightness depending on the brightness inside the vehicle cabin.

The display system 1 further includes a control unit 102 (an example of a color temperature detection unit) that detects the color temperature inside the vehicle C1's cabin. Furthermore, the display control device 100 lowers the color temperature of the specific information 210 the higher the detected color temperature inside the vehicle cabin, and sets the color temperature of the specific information 210 higher the detected color temperature inside the vehicle cabin.

This configuration makes it possible to display specific information with an appropriate color temperature according to the color temperature inside the vehicle cabin.

The display control method according to this embodiment controls the display state of a display device 200 disposed on the back of the steering wheel 10 of a vehicle C1 capable of both automatic and manual driving. This display control method includes a control process (steps S501 to S505) for displaying specific information 210 on a portion of the display device 200 corresponding to the circumferential direction of the steering wheel 10 to encourage a driver D1 seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle C1 to grip the steering wheel 10. In this control process, when automatic driving is being performed in the vehicle C1, the specific information 210 is hidden, and when a command to grip the steering wheel 10 is received while automatic driving is being performed, the specific information 210 is displayed on the display device 200.

With this configuration, the driver D1 can be made aware of the need to grip the steering wheel 10 using the display device 200, which displays the state of the vehicle C1, without providing a light-emitting element on the steering wheel 10. In this way, by utilizing the display device 200, which has traditionally displayed meters and other information to the driver D1, the manufacturing costs of the vehicle C1 can be reduced. Furthermore, when switching from automatic driving to manual driving, it is possible to display specific information 210 on the display device 200 at the appropriate time to encourage the driver to grip the steering wheel 10.

Note that the processing steps shown in this embodiment are merely examples for realizing this embodiment, and the order of some of the processing steps may be changed, some of the processing steps may be omitted, or other processing steps may be added, to the extent that this embodiment can be realized.

Note that each process shown in this embodiment is executed based on a program that causes a computer to execute each processing procedure. Therefore, this embodiment can also be understood as an embodiment of a program that realizes the function of executing each process, and a recording medium that stores that program. For example, an update process for adding a new function to a display control device can store the program in the storage device of the display control device. This makes it possible to cause the updated display control device to perform each process shown in this embodiment.

The above describes embodiments of the present invention, but these embodiments merely illustrate some of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

1. Display system, 2. Dashboard, 3, 3a. Windshield, 10. Steering wheel, 20. Sensors, 30. Steering wheel adjustment device, 40. Image acquisition device, 50. Automatic driving control device, 100. Display control device, 101. Position detection unit, 102. Control unit, 103. Memory unit, 104. Drawing processing unit, 200, 400. Display device, C1, C1a. Vehicle

Claims (10)

A display system for displaying a vehicle status,
a display unit disposed on a rear surface of a steering wheel of the vehicle and displaying a state of the vehicle;
a control unit that controls a display state of the display unit;
a color temperature detection unit that detects a color temperature in the interior of the vehicle ,
The control unit
displaying specific information in a portion of the display unit corresponding to a circumferential direction of the steering wheel to prompt a driver seated in a driver's seat of the vehicle to grip the steering wheel ;
The higher the detected color temperature inside the vehicle interior, the lower the color temperature of the specific information is set, and the lower the detected color temperature inside the vehicle interior, the higher the color temperature of the specific information is set .
Display system. 10. The display system of claim 1,
The vehicle is capable of both automatic driving and manual driving,
The control unit hides the specific information when the automatic driving is being performed in the vehicle, and displays the specific information on the display unit when a command to grip the steering wheel is received while the automatic driving is being performed.
Display system. 3. The display system of claim 2,
a grip detection unit that detects a grip of the steering wheel by the driver,
the control unit, after the specific information is displayed on the display unit in response to receiving the grip command, does not display the specific information when gripping of the steering wheel is detected.
Display system. 3. The display system of claim 2,
When the automatic driving is being performed in the vehicle, the control unit causes the display unit to display second identification information in a manner different from the identification information, and when a command to grip the steering wheel is received during the automatic driving, causes the display unit to hide the second identification information and display the identification information.
Display system. 5. A display system according to claim 1,
the control unit displays the specific information by highlighting a portion along a circumferential outline of the steering wheel on the display screen of the display unit.
Display system. 5. A display system according to claim 1,
an eye detection unit that detects the eye position of a driver seated in a driver's seat of the vehicle;
The control unit moves a portion of the display unit that displays the specific information in a vertical direction based on the detected position of the eye.
Display system. 5. A display system according to claim 1,
a position detection unit that detects the position of the steering wheel,
the control unit moves a portion of the display unit that displays the specific information in a vertical direction based on the detected position of the steering wheel.
Display system. 5. A display system according to claim 1,
the control unit displays a mark indicating a hand shape at a position where the steering wheel is gripped, as the specific information, so that the mark is added to the position where the steering wheel is gripped.
Display system. 5. A display system according to claim 1,
a brightness detection unit that detects brightness inside the vehicle interior,
The control unit sets the brightness of the specific information to be higher as the detected level of brightness in the vehicle interior is higher.
Display system. A display control method for controlling a display state of a display unit disposed on a back surface of a steering wheel of a vehicle , comprising:
a control process for displaying specific information on a portion of the display unit corresponding to a circumferential direction of the steering wheel to prompt a driver seated in a driver's seat of the vehicle to grip the steering wheel ;
a color temperature detection process for detecting a color temperature in the interior of the vehicle ,
In the control process, the higher the detected color temperature inside the vehicle interior, the lower the color temperature of the specific information is set, and the lower the detected color temperature inside the vehicle interior, the higher the color temperature of the specific information is set .
Display control method.