Display control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12545186-B2
Application number	US-202318212626-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2023
Priority date	Jun 29, 2022
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

A display control device includes a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the display control device to function as: an obstacle identifying part that identifies an obstacle area; a driver information acquiring part that acquires driver information; a blocked area identifying part that identifies a blocked area based on driver information; a blocked area ratio calculating part that calculates a blocked area ratio; and a display controlling part that controls the image on the displaying part. The display controlling part is configured to display a driver's point of view image obtained by converting a viewpoint of the image captured by the imaging part based on the driver information when the blocked area ratio equals to a predetermined value or higher; and not to display it when the blocked area ratio is less than the predetermined value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display control device for controlling a displaying part, the displaying part provided on a structure of a vehicle body that hinders a field of view of a vehicle driver, and
the display control device comprising: a processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the display control device to function as: an obstacle identifying part that is configured to identify an obstacle area that comprises an obstacle in an image acquired from an imaging part that captures images around a vehicle; a driver information acquiring part that is configured to acquire driver information regarding the field of view of the vehicle driver; a blocked area identifying part that is configured to identify a blocked area based on driver information where the field of view of the driver is blocked by the structure, and to convert the image captured by the imaging part into a driver's point of view image based on the driver information; a blocked area ratio calculating part that is configured to calculate a blocked area ratio, the blocked area ratio being a ratio of an area that the blocked area overlaps the obstacle area out of a total area of the obstacle area, and the blocked area ratio calculating part being configured to calculate the blocked area ratio based on a total area of the obstacle area in the driver's point of view image converted based on the driver information and an area of the obstacle area that overlaps the blocked area in the driver's point of view image; and a display controlling part that is configured to control the image displayed on the displaying part; wherein the display controlling part is configured to: control the displaying part to display a driver's point of view image obtained by converting a viewpoint of the image captured by the imaging part based on the driver information when the blocked area ratio is equal to a predetermined value or higher; and when the blocked area ratio is less than the predetermined value, determine that the obstacle is visible to the driver, switch a display process for the displaying part and control the displaying part not to display the driver's point of view image on the displaying part.

2 . The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the display control device to further function as a collision likelihood determining part that determines a likelihood of a collision of the vehicle with the obstacle based on a state of the vehicle and the obstacle identified by the obstacle identifying part,
wherein the display controlling part displays the driver's point of view image on the displaying part based on the blocked area ratio and determination of the collision likelihood determining part when there is the likelihood of the collision and the blocked area ratio is equal to the predetermined value or higher, while the display controlling part does not display the driver's point of view image on the displaying part when there is the likelihood of the collision but the blocked area ratio is less than the predetermined value or when there is no likelihood of the collision.

3 . The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the display controlling part is further configured to display a still image or not to display anything on the displaying part when the display controlling part does not display the driver's point of view image on the displaying part.

4 . The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the display controlling part is further configured to perform a warning display on the displaying part when the blocked area is less than the predetermined value.

5 . The display control device according to claim 4 , wherein the display controlling part is further configured to perform the warning display on an edge of the displaying part corresponding to a side where the obstacle is blocked when the blocked area is less than the predetermined value.

Assignees

• Faurecia Clarion Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakamura Junya

Classifications

• B60R2300/8093

  for obstacle warning · CPC title

• B60R2300/8033

  for pedestrian protection · CPC title

• B60R2300/802

  for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views · CPC title

• B60R2300/301

  combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision · CPC title

• B60R2011/0288

  Apparatus made of several modules independently mounted · CPC title