Display control device, display control method, and display control program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12114241-B2
Application number	US-202117406420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2021
Priority date	Aug 31, 2020
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A display control ECU includes an information acquisition section and a display control section. The information acquisition section acquires information relating to a peripheral target object that is present ahead of the vehicle and in a subject vehicle lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling, and information relating to an object requiring caution that is present outside of the subject vehicle lane and having implications for control during the autonomous driving. The display control section displays an image of the peripheral target object, regarding which information has been acquired by the information acquisition section on a heads-up display provided inside a cabin of the vehicle, and additionally displays on the heads-up display an image of the object requiring caution in a case in which information relating to the object requiring caution has been acquired by the information acquisition section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display control device installed in a vehicle configured to enable autonomous driving, the display control device comprising:
a processor programmed to:
acquire information relating to a periphery of the vehicle, the information relating to the periphery of the vehicle including information relating to a peripheral target object that is present ahead of the vehicle and in a subject vehicle lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling;
determine whether the information relating to the periphery of the vehicle includes information relating to an object requiring caution that is present outside of the subject vehicle lane and has implications for control during the autonomous driving;
in a case in which the processor determines that the information relating to the periphery of the vehicle includes the information relating to the object requiring caution, display an image of the peripheral target object, regarding which the information has been acquired, on a display provided inside a cabin of the vehicle, and display, on the display, an image of the object requiring caution (i) simultaneously with the image of the peripheral target object and (ii) with greater emphasis than the image of the peripheral target object; and
in a case in which the processor determines that the information relating to the periphery of the vehicle does not include the information relating to the object requiring caution, display the image of the peripheral target object, regarding which the information has been acquired, on the display, and not display, an image of the peripheral target object present outside the subject vehicle lane on the display even when the peripheral target object present outside the subject vehicle lane is detected.

2. The display control device of claim 1 , wherein the display is a heads-up display configured to display the respective images overlaid on a scene ahead as viewed through a windshield of the vehicle by an occupant in a driver's seat of the vehicle.

3. The display control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to display the image of the object requiring caution in a different color from the image of the peripheral target object.

4. The display control device of claim 1 , wherein, in a case in which the processor has acquired the information relating to the object requiring caution that is present ahead of the vehicle, the processor is programmed to display a simulated image of the object requiring caution on the display, the simulated image being generated as though it was viewed through a windshield of the vehicle by an occupant in a driver's seat of the vehicle.

5. The display control device of claim 1 , wherein, in a case in which the processor has acquired the information relating to the object requiring caution, which is present to the rear or to a side of the vehicle, the processor is programmed to display a simulated image of the object requiring caution and the vehicle on the display, the simulated image being generated as though it was viewed from obliquely above and to the rear of the vehicle.

6. The display control device of claim 1 , wherein:
the display is a heads-up display configured to display the respective images overlaid on a scene ahead as viewed through a windshield of the vehicle by an occupant in a driver's seat of the vehicle;
a meter display having a larger display region than the heads-up display is provided at an instrument panel of the vehicle; and
the processor is programmed to display a simulated image of the vehicle and the periphery of the vehicle on the meter display, the simulated image being generated as though it was viewed from obliquely above and to the rear of the vehicle.

7. The display control device of claim 1 , wherein:
the object requiring caution is an another vehicle attempting to cut in front of the vehicle.

8. The display control device of claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is programmed to acquire information requiring caution relating to a road profile that is information having implications for control during autonomous driving; and
the processor is programmed to additionally display, on the display, an image of the information requiring caution in a case in which the information requiring caution has been acquired by the processor.

9. The display control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to display the image of the object requiring caution in a different brightness or tone from the image of the peripheral target object.

10. The display control device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is programmed to display the image of the object requiring caution to flash.

11. A display control method for implementation by a processor installed in a vehicle configured to enable autonomous driving, the display control method comprising:
acquiring information relating to the periphery of the vehicle, the information relating to the periphery of the vehicle including information relating to a peripheral target object that is present ahead of the vehicle and in a subject vehicle lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling;
determining whether the information relating to a periphery of the vehicle includes information relating to an object requiring caution that is present outside of the subject vehicle lane and has implications for control during the autonomous driving;
in a case in which the information relating to the periphery of the vehicle is determined to include the information relating to the object requiring caution, displaying an image of the peripheral target object, regarding which information has been acquired, on a display provided inside a cabin of the vehicle, and displaying, on the display, an image of the object requiring caution (i) simultaneously with the image of the peripheral target object and (ii) with greater emphasis than the image of the peripheral target object; and
in a case in which the information relating to the periphery of the vehicle is determined to not include the information relating to the object requiring caution, displaying the image of the peripheral target object, regarding which the information has been acquired, on the display, and not displaying, an image of the peripheral target object present outside the subject vehicle lane on the display even when the peripheral target object present outside the subject vehicle lane is detected.

12. A display control device installed in a vehicle configured to enable autonomous driving, the display control device comprising:
a processor programmed to:
acquire information relating to the periphery of the vehicle, the information relating to the periphery of the vehicle including information relating to a peripheral target object that is present ahead of the vehicle and in a subject vehicle lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling;
determine whether the information relating to a periphery of the vehicle includes information relating to an object requiring caution that is present outside of the subject vehicle lane and has implications for control during the autonomous driving;
in a case in which the processor determines that the information relating to the periphery of the vehicle includes the information relating to the object requiring caution, display an image of the peripheral target object, regarding which information has been acquired, on a display provided inside a cabin of the vehicle, and to display, on the display, an image of the object requiring caution in a case in which the information relating to the object requiring caution has been acquired by the processor; and
in a case in which the processor determines that the information relating to the perip

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takabatake Satoaki
• Kimura Koji
• Miyazaki Junji
• Yoshida Yuki
• Ogata Ryo
• Morishita Tadashi

Classifications

• B60K35/60

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

• B60K35/28

  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

• B60K35/231

  characterised by their arrangement or structure for integration into vehicles · 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