Display device, display method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12596010-B2
Application number	US-202418639471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2024
Priority date	Apr 28, 2023
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

A display device includes: a controller that determines a form in which to display a display object indicating a guide image based on a route (scheduled route) a vehicle is scheduled to drive on; and a display that projects light that forms the display object in the form determined by the controller onto a display medium in the vehicle that reflects the light toward a user in the vehicle, making the display object displayed beyond the display medium visible to the user as a virtual image. When a condition related to driving of the vehicle is satisfied, the controller determines the form so as to give the display object a shape corresponding to a view of the virtual image from an angle of depression greater than an angle of depression corresponding to a view of the virtual image from a viewpoint of the user.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A display device comprising:
a controller that determines a form in which to display a display object indicating a guide image that is based on a route a vehicle is scheduled to drive on; and a display that projects light that forms the display object in the form determined by the controller onto a light-transmissive display medium in the vehicle that reflects the light toward a user in the vehicle, making the display object that is displayed beyond the display medium visible to the user as a virtual image, wherein when a condition related to driving of the vehicle is satisfied, the controller determines the form in which to display the display object so as to give the display object a shape based on a firt view of the virtual image from a first angle of depression is greater than a second angle of depression based on a second view of the virtual image from a viewpoint of the user through the display medium.

2 . The display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the display object includes a plurality of guide images, each of which is the guide image, displayed along the route, and a curvature of a trajectory following an alignment of the plurality of guide images displayed on the display medium is lower than a curvature of a trajectory following an alignment of the plurality of guide images depicted in the virtual image in the view from the viewpoint of the user.

3 . The display device according to claim 2 , wherein
the plurality of guide images are displayed not overlapping one another.

4 . The display device according to claim 2 , wherein
the route includes a guide node indicating a point at which the vehicle is to change course, and the controller changes at least one of the curvature of the trajectory following the alignment of the plurality of guide images, a depression angle difference of the display object, a total number of the plurality of guide images, or an angle of rotation of the plurality of guide images in accordance with a portion of the route that is in a surrounding area of the guide node.

5 . The display device according to claim 2 , wherein
the route includes a guide node indicating a point at which the vehicle is to change course, and the controller changes at least one of a depression angle difference of the display object, an apex angle of each of the plurality of guide images, or a size of the plurality of guide images in accordance with a distance from the vehicle to the guide node.

6 . The display device according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller alters a speed at which to change the display object in accordance with the route.

7 . The display device according to claim 2 , wherein
the route includes a guide node indicating a point at which the vehicle is to change course, and the controller alters a speed at which to change the display object in accordance with a driving speed of the vehicle in a surrounding area of the guide node.

8 . The display device according to claim 2 , wherein
the route includes a guide node, an entrance node, and an exit node, the guide node indicating a point at which the vehicle is to change course, the entrance node indicating a point before the vehicle enters the guide node, the exit node leading the vehicle through the guide node, and when, after the controller has determined that the condition related to the driving of the vehicle has not been satisfied, the controller subsequently determines that the condition related to the driving of the vehicle has been satisfied, the controller alters a speed at which to change the display object in accordance with a curvature of the route indicating the guide node, the entrance node, and the exit node.

9 . The display device according to claim 2 , wherein
the route includes a guide node indicating a point at which the vehicle is to change course, and when, after the controller has determined that the condition related to the driving of the vehicle has not been satisfied, the controller subsequently determines that the condition related to the driving of the vehicle has been satisfied, the controller alters a speed at which to change the display object in accordance with a speed of the vehicle approaching the guide node.

10 . The display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the display object includes a plurality of guide images, each of which is the guide image, displayed along the route, and a depression angle difference of the display object displayed on the display medium is greater than a depression angle difference of the virtual image in the view from the viewpoint of the user.

11 . The display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the route includes a guide node, an entrance node, and an exit node, the guide node indicating a point at which the vehicle is to change course, the entrance node indicating a point before the vehicle enters the guide node, the exit node leading the vehicle through the guide node, and the controller determines the form in which to display the display object using the guide node, the entrance node, and the exit node.

12 . The display device according to claim 11 , wherein
the condition related to the driving of the vehicle is a condition that requires the user to operate a steering wheel of the vehicle at the guide node.

13 . The display device according to claim 12 , wherein
the condition that requires the user to operate the steering wheel of the vehicle includes a condition that the route includes an intersection, a condition that the route includes a curve between the vehicle and the intersection, and a condition that the route includes an additional intersection or an additional curve between the vehicle and the intersection or the curve.

14 . The display device according to claim 12 , wherein
the condition that requires the user to operate the steering wheel of the vehicle includes a condition that the vehicle changes course on the route.

15 . The display device according to claim 12 , wherein
the condition that requires the user to operate the steering wheel of the vehicle includes a condition that the route includes an intersection or a curve and the vehicle changes course immediately before the intersection or the curve.

16 . The display device according to claim 11 , wherein
the controller changes the display object in accordance with a portion of the route that is in a surrounding area of the guide node.

17 . The display device according to claim 1 , wherein
when at least a portion of the display object is outside of a display range, the controller determines the form in which to display the display object so as to shift the display object to be inside the display range.

18 . The display device according to claim 17 , wherein
when the controller shifts the display object, the controller further changes at least one of a color or a luminance of at least a portion of the display object that is inside the display range.

19 . A display method comprising:
determining a form in which to display a display object indicating a guide image that is based on a route a vehicle is scheduled to drive on; and projecting light that forms the display object in the form determined in the determining onto a light-transmissive display medium in the vehicle that reflects the light toward a user in the vehicle, making the display object that is displayed beyond the display medium visible to the user as a virtual image, wherein in the determining, when a condition related to driving of the vehicle is

Assignees

• Panasonic Automotive Systems Co Ltd

Inventors

• Inukai Fumihito
• Tanaka Akira
• Mori Toshiya
• Funabiki Makoto
• Shimura Takuma

Classifications

• G01C21/365 Primary

  Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself · CPC title