Vehicle display control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11022795-B2
Application number	US-201916532916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2019
Priority date	Feb 8, 2017
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle display control device, which adjusts a brightness of a display image as a display image brightness of a head-up display that superimposes and displays the display image as a virtual image over a foreground scenery of the vehicle by projecting the display image onto a projection member, includes: a visual line position specifying unit that specifies a visual line position of the driver of the vehicle; and a display control unit that adjusts the display image brightness according to the brightness in a set range of the foreground scenery with respect to the visual line position as a reference point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle display control device for controlling a display image brightness, which is a brightness of a display image of a head-up display that displays and superimposes the display image as a virtual image over a foreground scenery of a vehicle by projecting the display image on a projection member, the vehicle display control device comprising:
a visual line position specifying unit for specifying a visual line position of a driver of the vehicle, the visual line position comprising a position at which the driver gazes;
a display control unit for adjusting the display image brightness of the head-up display to be within a set range that is based on the visual line position; and
a range change unit that changes the set range according to a visual range of the driver of the vehicle, wherein:
the set range is an effective visual range which is a part of the visual range; and
an object is identifiable in the effective visual range.

2. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the display control unit adjusts the display image brightness by setting a range, estimated to correspond to the visual range, to be the set range.

3. The vehicle display control device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the display control unit adjusts the display image brightness by setting a range, estimated to correspond to the effective visual range, to be the set range.

4. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the range change unit changes the set range to be narrower as a driving load of the driver of the vehicle becomes larger.

5. The vehicle display control device according to claim 4 , wherein:
the range change unit changes the set range to be narrower as a speed of the vehicle becomes higher.

6. The vehicle display control device according to claim 4 , wherein:
the range change unit changes the set range to be narrower as a degree of congestion around the vehicle specified based on information of a congestion status around the vehicle becomes larger.

7. The vehicle display control device according to claim 4 , wherein:
the range change unit changes the set range to be narrower as the driving load of the driver of the vehicle, estimated from a detection result of a periphery monitoring sensor that detects an obstacle around the vehicle, becomes higher.

8. The vehicle display control device according to claim 4 , wherein:
the range change unit changes the set range to be narrower as the driving load of the driver of the vehicle, estimated from a sound collection result of a sound collection device that collects sound of at least one of an inside of a vehicle compartment of the vehicle and a periphery of the vehicle, becomes higher.

9. The vehicle display control device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a psychological load estimation unit that estimates a psychological load of the driver of the vehicle, wherein:
the range change unit changes the set range to be narrower as the psychological load of the driver of the vehicle estimated by the psychological load estimation unit becomes higher.

10. The vehicle display control device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the display control unit sequentially adjusts the display image brightness according to the set range when the head-up display displays the display image.

11. A vehicle display control device for controlling a display image brightness, which is a brightness of a display image of a head-up display that displays and superimposes the display image as a virtual image over a foreground scenery of a vehicle by projecting the display image on a projection member, the vehicle display control device comprising:
a visual line position specifying unit for specifying a visual line position of a driver of the vehicle, the visual line position comprising a position at which the driver gazes; and
a display control unit for adjusting the display image brightness of the head-up display to be within a set range that is based on the visual line position as a reference point, wherein:
the display control unit starts to adjust the display image brightness according to the brightness in the set range in the foreground scenery with the visual line position as the reference point when it is estimated that the brightness in the foreground scenery changes significantly;
the set range is an effective visual range which is a part of a visual range of the driver of the vehicle; and
an object is identifiable in the effective visual range.

12. A vehicle display control device for controlling a display image brightness as a brightness of a display image of a head-up display that displays and superimposes the display image as a virtual image over a foreground scenery of a vehicle by projecting the display image on a projection member, the vehicle display control device comprising:
a visual line position specifying unit for specifying a visual line position of a driver of the vehicle; and
a display control unit for adjusting the display image brightness in accordance with the brightness in a set range based on the visual line position as a reference point, wherein:
when the display control unit displays the display image indicating a type of information with high urgency, the display control unit prioritizes increasing the display image brightness up to a predetermined value for increasing a visibility of the display image over adjusting the display image brightness according to the brightness in the set range in the foreground scenery with the visual line position as the reference point.

13. The vehicle display control device according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a range change unit configured to change the set range to be narrower as a driving load of the driver of the vehicle becomes larger.

14. The vehicle display control device according to claim 13 , wherein:
the range change unit changes the set range to be narrower as a speed of the vehicle becomes higher.

15. The vehicle display control device according to claim 13 , wherein:
the range change unit changes the set range to be narrower as a degree of congestion around the vehicle specified based on information of a congestion status around the vehicle becomes larger.

16. The vehicle display control device according to claim 13 , wherein:
the range change unit changes the set range to be narrower as the driving load of the driver of the vehicle, estimated from a detection result of a periphery monitoring sensor that detects an obstacle around the vehicle, becomes higher.

17. The vehicle display control device according to claim 13 , wherein:
the range change unit changes the set range to be narrower as the driving load of the driver of the vehicle, estimated from a sound collection result of a sound collection device that collects sound of at least one of an inside of a vehicle compartment of the vehicle and a periphery of the vehicle, becomes higher.

18. The vehicle display control device according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a psychological load estimation unit that estimates a psychological load of the driver of the vehicle, wherein:
the range change unit changes the set range to be narrower as the psychological load of the driver of the vehicle estimated by the psychological load estimation unit becomes higher.

19. A vehicle display control device for controlling a display image brightness, which is a brightness of a display image of a head-up display that displays and superimposes the display image as a virtual image over a foreground

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Ogawa Hiroaki

Classifications

• B60K35/26

  using acoustic output · CPC title

• B60K35/234

  controlling the brightness, colour or contrast of virtual images depending on the driving conditions or on the condition of the vehicle or the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/235

  with means for detecting the driver's gaze direction or eye points · CPC title

• B60K35/10

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

• B60K35/81

  for controlling displays · CPC title