Orientation detection device and non-transitory computer readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11301695-B2
Application number	US-202016868192-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2020
Priority date	Nov 10, 2017
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

An orientation detection device obtains a detection information of a sensor that detects a displacement in the vertical direction occurring in the vehicle, computes a pitch angle of the vehicle on the basis of the detection information, obtains a gradient information indicating a gradient of a road on which the vehicle travels, and corrects a correlation between the detection information used in computation and the pitch angle on the basis of the gradient information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An orientation detection device for detecting orientation of a vehicle, comprising:
a detection information obtaining unit that obtains a detection information of a sensor, which detects a displacement in a vertical direction occurring in the vehicle;
an orientation computation unit that computes a pitch angle of the vehicle on the basis of the detection information;
a gradient information obtaining unit that obtains a gradient information indicating a gradient of a road on which the vehicle travels; and
a correlation correction unit that corrects a correlation between the detection information used in computation of the orientation computation unit and the pitch angle on the basis of the gradient information.

2. The orientation detection device according to claim 1 , wherein
the gradient information obtaining unit obtains the gradient information on the basis of three-dimensional map data.

3. The orientation detection device according to claim 2 , wherein
the gradient information obtaining unit obtains the gradient information on the basis of an image of surrounding of the vehicle taken by an imaging unit, in a case where the three-dimensional map data is not obtained.

4. The orientation detection device according to claim 2 , wherein
the vehicle has an automatic driving function,
the gradient information obtaining unit obtains the gradient information on the basis of the three-dimensional map data in response to the automatic driving function being in operation to make the vehicle travel, and
the gradient information obtaining unit obtains the gradient information on the basis of an image of surrounding of the vehicle taken by an imaging unit in response to the automatic driving function being not in operation.

5. The orientation detection device according to claim 2 , wherein
in a case where the three-dimensional map data regarding the road on which the vehicle travels cannot be obtained, the gradient information obtaining unit obtains the gradient information on the basis of comparison between an accelerator position of the vehicle during travel and an acceleration in the front-rear direction generated in the vehicle.

6. The orientation detection device according to claim 2 , wherein
the vehicle has an automatic driving function,
the gradient information obtaining unit obtains the gradient information on the basis of the three-dimensional map data in response to the automatic driving function being in operation to make the vehicle travel, and
the gradient information obtaining unit obtains the gradient information on the basis of comparison between an accelerator position of the vehicle during travel and acceleration in the front-rear direction generated in the vehicle in response to the automatic driving function being not in operation.

7. The orientation detection device according to claim 1 , wherein
the gradient information obtaining unit obtains the gradient information on the basis of an image of surrounding of the vehicle taken by an imaging unit.

8. The orientation detection device according to claim 7 , wherein
the gradient information obtaining unit determines whether the vehicle travels on a horizontal road on the basis of comparison between an accelerator position of the vehicle which is traveling and an acceleration in the front-rear direction generated in the vehicle, and computes a gradient of a road in the travel direction using, as a reference, the road gradient of the horizontal road on which the vehicle travels on the basis of the image.

9. The orientation detection device according to claim 1 , wherein
the gradient information obtaining unit obtains the gradient information on the basis of comparison between an accelerator position of the vehicle during travel and an acceleration in the front-rear direction generated in the vehicle.

10. The orientation detection device according to claim 1 , which is to be connected to an optical unit projecting a display light image to a projection area designated in the vehicle and displaying a virtual image of the display light image so that the virtual image is visible by an occupant of the vehicle, the orientation detection device further comprising:
a correction value computation unit that generates a correction information for correcting a deviation of a projection position of the display light image in accordance with a change in the pitch angle by using the pitch angle calculated by the orientation computation unit.

11. The orientation detection device according to claim 10 , further comprising
a display control unit that generates a video image data obtained by preliminarily correcting a deviation of a projection position of the display light image in accordance with a change in the pitch angle by using the correction information and displays the video image data as a virtual image by the optical unit.

12. The orientation detection device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical unit that projects a display light image to a projection area designated in the vehicle and displays a virtual image of the display light image so that the virtual image is visually recognized by an occupant of the vehicle; and
a correction value computation unit that generates a correction information for correcting a deviation of a projection position of the display light image in accordance with a change in the pitch angle by using the pitch angle calculated by the orientation computation unit.

13. The orientation detection device according to claim 1 , which is to be connected to a lighting unit that has an optical axis adjusting unit adjusting an optical axis of a headlight of the vehicle, the orientation detection device further comprising
an optical axis control unit that corrects a deviation of the optical axis in accordance with an orientation change of the vehicle by using the pitch angle calculated by the orientation computation unit.

14. The orientation detection device according to claim 1 , wherein
the detection information obtaining unit obtains, as the detection information, at least one of a relative distance between a body of the vehicle and a suspension arm suspended in the body and a relative acceleration between the body and the suspension arm.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program product comprising instructions for detecting orientation of a vehicle, the instructions being configured to, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
obtain a detection information of a sensor, which detects a displacement in the vertical direction occurring in the vehicle;
compute a pitch angle of the vehicle on the basis of the detection information;
obtain a gradient information indicating a gradient of a road on which the vehicle travels; and
corrects a correlation between the detection information used in computation and the pitch angle on the basis of the gradient information.

16. An orientation detection device for detecting orientation of a vehicle, comprising a processor configured to:
obtain a detection information of a sensor, which detects a displacement in a vertical direction occurring in the vehicle;
compute a pitch angle of the vehicle on the basis of the detection information;
obtain a gradient information indicating a gradient of a road on which the vehicle travels; and
correct a correlation between the detection information used in computation and the pitch angle on the basis of the gradient information.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Shibata Shunsuke
• Imanishi Masayuki
• Hato Takeshi
• Takemori Daisuke
• Banno Hiroto

Classifications

• G09G2340/0464

  Positioning · CPC title

• G09G3/001

  using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background (slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP) · CPC title

• G06T7/73

  using feature-based methods · CPC title

• G06T2207/30252

  Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle · CPC title

• G06V20/56 Primary

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title