Information presentation device and information presentation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10723367-B2
Application number	US-201615562575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2016
Priority date	Apr 3, 2015
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

An information presentation device, mounted on a vehicle for which automatic evacuation control functions when it is difficult for a driver to continue driving the vehicle, and presenting information to an occupant of the vehicle except the driver by a display in a display area that is visually recognizable by the occupant, includes: an operation information acquisition unit that acquires operation information of the automatic evacuation control; and a display generation unit that generates an occupant notification display that is displayed in the display area to notify information relating to the automatic evacuation control when the automatic evacuation control is in operation. The occupant notification display includes: an explanatory image that shows an explanation of a process executed currently; and a progress image that indicates a degree of progress in the automatic evacuation control.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An information presentation device that is mounted on a vehicle for which automatic evacuation control operates in response to determining that it is difficult for a driver to continue driving the vehicle in which the driver is unable to properly drive due to an abnormal state of the driver, and presents information to an occupant of the vehicle except the driver by a display in a first display area that is visually recognizable by the occupant, the information presentation device comprising:
an operation information acquisition unit that acquires operation information of the automatic evacuation control; and
a display generation unit that generates an occupant notification display that is displayed in the first display area to notify information relating to the automatic evacuation control during operation of the automatic evacuation control, wherein:
the occupant notification display includes:
an explanatory image that shows an explanation of one of a plurality of processes configured to be performed by the automatic evacuation control, the one of the processes being currently executed by the automatic evacuation control; and
a progress image that indicates a degree of current progress in the automatic evacuation control.

2. The information presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the information presentation device performs notification to the driver by a display in a second display area that is disposed at a position different from a position of the first display area and visually recognizable by the driver; and
the display generation unit further generates a driver notification display that is displayed in the second display area to notify the driver of information relating to the automatic evacuation control in response to the operation information being acquired.

3. The information presentation device according to claim 2 , wherein:
each of the driver notification display and the occupant notification display includes a guide image that introduces a coping action during operation of the automatic evacuation control.

4. The information presentation device according to claim 2 , wherein:
only the driver notification display includes a guide image that introduces a coping action during operation of the automatic evacuation control.

5. The information presentation device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the driver notification display includes a progress image that indicates the degree of the current progress in the automatic evacuation control; and
a numerical number of processes indicated in the progress image of the occupant notification display is equal to a numerical number of processes indicated in the progress image of the driver notification display.

6. The information presentation device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the driver notification display includes a progress image that indicates the degree of the current progress in the automatic evacuation control; and
a numerical number of processes indicated in the progress image of the occupant notification display is larger than a numerical number of processes indicated in the progress image of the driver notification display.

7. The information presentation device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the occupant notification display includes a background portion having a color in a green range; and
the driver notification display includes a background portion having a color in a red range.

8. The information presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the progress image indicates the one of the processes executed currently by periodically repeating a bright state and a dark state; and
a period during which the bright state is maintained is longer than a period during which the dark state is maintained.

9. The information presentation device according to claim 8 , wherein:
the explanatory image is superimposed on the progress image; and
the progress image periodically repeats a brightness change as a background of the explanatory image.

10. The information presentation device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an image acquisition unit that acquires a captured image obtained by capturing an image of a range in a traveling direction including a traveling plan route set by the automatic evacuation control, wherein:
the display generation unit adds the captured image, including a route clear-indication image portion that clearly indicates the traveling plan route and is superimposed on the captured image, to the occupant notification display.

11. The information presentation device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an illumination request unit that starts turning on a headlight for driving mounted on the vehicle in response to the operation information being acquired.

12. The information presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the occupant notification display further includes a map image indicative of an evacuation place, which is set by the automatic evacuation control as a position where the vehicle is stopped, together with a road shape around the vehicle.

13. The information presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the information presentation device is mounted on the vehicle together with a voice reproduction device that reproduces a voice audible by the occupant; and
the information presentation device further comprising:
a reproduction request unit that controls the voice reproduction device to reproduce the voice notifying the occupant of a content of another process after shifting from one of the processes currently executed to the another process, according to a feature that the one of the processes executed currently by the automatic evacuation control is transferred to the another process.

14. The information presentation device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first display area has a shape with a width direction of the vehicle, in which a driver's seat and a passenger seat are arranged side by side, as a longitudinal direction; and
the explanatory image and the progress image are displayed in a range of the first display area closer to the driver's seat than the passenger seat.

15. An information presentation method for presenting information to an occupant of a vehicle except a driver by a display in a display area that is visually recognizable by the occupant, the vehicle including automatic evacuation control configured to operate in response to determining that it is difficult for the driver to continue driving the vehicle in which the driver is unable to properly drive due to an abnormal state of the driver, the information presentation method comprising:
acquiring operation information of the automatic evacuation control; and
generating an occupant notification display that is displayed in the display area to notify information relating to the automatic evacuation control during operation of the automatic evacuation control, wherein:
the occupant notification display includes:
an explanatory image that shows an explanation of one of a plurality of processes configured to be performed by the automatic evacuation control, the one of the processes being currently executed by the automatic evacuation control; and
a progress image that indicates a degree of current progress in the automatic evacuation control; and
the acquiring of the operation information and the generating of the occupant notification display are executed by at least one processor.

16. An information presentation device that is mounted on a vehicle for which automatic evacuation control operates when it is determined

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Tamagaki Mitsuo
• Shimonomoto Ifushi
• Tanaka Hiroaki
• Mori Takuya
• Fujisawa Yuki
• Kamiya Akira
• Kume Takuya

Classifications

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/23

  Head-up displays [HUD] (optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01) · CPC title

• B60K28/06 Primary

  responsive to incapacity of driver · CPC title

• B60W2756/10

  Involving external transmission of data to or from the vehicle · CPC title