Alert system and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11966052-B2
Application number	US-202217951475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2022
Priority date	Sep 29, 2021
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

An alert system includes a display device, a display control unit, and a target recognition unit. The display control unit: when the number of targets recognized by the target recognition unit is equal to or more than an upper limit number, sets a display range of a surrounding icon as a whole circular area; and in a state where the number of targets is equal to or more than the upper limit number and the display range of the surrounding icon is set as the whole circular area, when the number of targets increases, reduces the size of the surrounding icon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An alert system comprising:
a display device configured to output, to a front window of a mobile body, a visual display viewable by an operator of the mobile body;
a display control unit configured to cause the display device to output a prescribed alert display to the front window as the visual display; and
a target recognition unit configured to recognize a target existing in surroundings of the mobile body, wherein
the display control unit:
causes the display device to display, on the front window, the alert display including a mobile body icon representing the mobile body and a surrounding icon a display range of which is changed in a circumferential direction of a circular area that surrounds the mobile body icon;
when the target is recognized by the target recognition unit, causes the display device to display the surrounding icon on the front window by having a range including a part corresponding to a direction of the target with respect to the mobile body as the display range;
when the number of the targets recognized by the target recognition unit is equal to or more than a prescribed upper limit number, sets the display range of the surrounding icon as a whole circular area; and
in a state where the number of the targets recognized by the target recognition unit is equal to or more than the upper limit number and the display range of the surrounding icon is set as the whole circular area, when the number of the targets recognized by the target recognition unit increases, reduces a size of the surrounding icon.

2. The alert system according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit:
when the target is not recognized by the target recognition unit, sets the display range of the surrounding icon as the whole circular area; and
when a state where the target is not recognized by the target recognition unit shifts to a state where the target is recognized by the target recognition unit, gradually reduces the display range of the surrounding icon from the whole circular area to a part of the circular area corresponding to a direction from the mobile body toward the target.

3. The alert system according to claim 1 , wherein, when a state where the target of less than the upper limit value is recognized by the target recognition unit and a display mode of the surrounding icon is set to a first display mode that has a part of the circular area corresponding to the direction of the target with respect to the mobile body as the display range shifts to a state where the target is not recognized by the target recognition unit, the display control unit switches the display mode of the surrounding icon to a second display mode that has the whole circular area as the display range.

4. The alert system according to claim 3 , wherein the display control unit performs processing for expanding a space between the mobile body icon and the surrounding icon once, while switching the display mode of the surrounding icon from the first display mode to the second display mode.

5. The alert system according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit: when the target is not recognized by the target recognition unit, sets the display mode of the surrounding icon to a third display mode that has the whole circular area as the display range; and when the state where the target is not recognized by the target recognition unit continues for a prescribed time or more, sets the display mode of the surrounding icon to a fourth display mode that is different from the third display mode, with the whole circular area being the display range.

6. The alert system according to claim 1 , comprising an influence degree recognition unit configured to recognize an influence degree of the target recognized by the target recognition unit for the mobile body, wherein
the display control unit changes a display mode of the surrounding icon according to the influence degree of the target.

7. The alert system according to claim 1 , comprising a sound image localization control unit configured to change a sound image position of a prescribed alert sound perceived by the operator by controlling an output mode of a plurality of speakers provided in the mobile body, wherein
the sound image localization control unit:
when the target is not recognized by the target recognition unit, sets the sound image position of the alert sound to a prescribed range of the surroundings of the operator; and
when a state where the target is not recognized by the target recognition unit shifts to a state where the target is recognized by the target recognition unit, gradually reduces the range of the sound image position of the alert sound from the prescribed range toward a direction from the operator to the target.

8. A non-transitory recording medium storing a control program for causing a computer to execute processing of:
acquiring a recognition result of a target recognition unit that recognizes a target existing in surroundings of a mobile body;
causing a controller that controls an operation of a display device to cause the display device to display a prescribed alert display according to the recognition result on a front window of the mobile body as a visual display, the display device outputting the visual display viewable by an operator of the mobile body on the front window;
causing the display device to display, on the front window, the alert display including a mobile body icon representing the mobile body and a surrounding icon a display range of which is changed in a circumferential direction of a circular area surrounding the mobile body icon;
when the target is recognized by the target recognition unit, causing the display device to display the surrounding icon on the front window by having a range including a part corresponding to a direction of the target with respect to the mobile body as the display range;
when the number of targets recognized by the target recognition unit is a prescribed upper limit number or more, setting the display range of the surrounding icon to a whole circular area; and
in a state where the number of the targets recognized by the target recognition unit is equal to or more than the upper limit number and the display range of the surrounding icon is set as the whole circular area, when the number of the targets recognized by the target recognition unit increases, reducing a size of the surrounding icon.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Maruyama Masaki
• Higuchi Minoru
• Kishimoto Yuya
• Seo Toshiaki
• Tanaka Masuhito
• Takano Kazuki
• Takeda Hidehiro
• Koseki Misaki

Classifications

• B60K35/81

  for controlling displays · CPC title

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/23

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

• G02B27/0101 Primary

  characterised by optical features (G02B27/0172 takes precedence) · CPC title