In-vehicle display apparatus and program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9269007-B2
Application number	US-201414252931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2014
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

An in-vehicle display apparatus in a vehicle includes a region recognition circuit and an image output circuit. The region recognition circuit recognizes a target plane region in scenery ahead of the vehicle; the target plane region corresponds to a continuous region having (i) a flatness equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value and (ii) an area size equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. The image output circuit displays a driving information picture as a virtual image using a liquid crystal panel such that a driver of the vehicle views the virtual image in the target plane region within a displayable region through a windshield of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An in-vehicle display apparatus in a vehicle, comprising:
a virtual image display device that permits a windshield or a combiner to reflect a predetermined light towards an eye of a driver of the vehicle to display a picture, the virtual image display device displaying the picture in a displayable region as a virtual image appearing ahead of the vehicle;
a region recognition circuit that recognizes a target plane region in scenery ahead of the vehicle, the target plane region being a continuous region having (i) a flatness equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold flatness and (ii) an area size equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold area size; and
an image output circuit that causes the virtual image display device to display the virtual image in the displayable region such that a driver of the vehicle views the virtual image in the target plane region recognized by the region recognition circuit,
wherein the in-vehicle display apparatus cooperates with a camera in the vehicle, the camera providing a forward picture that indicates the scenery ahead of the vehicle along with three-dimensional information;
wherein the region recognition circuit
converts the forward picture into a three-dimensional driver-viewpoint picture,
divides the three-dimensional driver-viewpoint picture into a plurality of part-pictures,
extracts flat part-pictures each of which has a flatness equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold flatness from the plurality of part-pictures based on the three-dimensional information,
connects the flat part-pictures that are continuously adjoining to provide a flat part-pictures set that has a flatness equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold flatness, and
designates, as the target plane region, the flat part-pictures set having an area size greater than the predetermined threshold area size; and

wherein the region recognition circuit calculates the flatness as a flatness degree, which is a multiplicative inverse of a gap that is formed by two right planes that sandwich a plurality of points in a surface form of each part-picture or each flat part-pictures set based on the three-dimensional information.

2. The in-vehicle display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the region recognition circuit recognizes a secured plane region within the target plane region, the secured plane region precluding a necessary information region that provides information needed to drive the vehicle; and
the image output circuit causes the virtual image display device to display the virtual image such that the driver views the virtual image in the secured plane region recognized by the region recognition circuit.

3. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more computers in a vehicle,
a virtual image display device in the vehicle permitting a windshield or a combiner to reflect a predetermined light towards an eye of a driver of the vehicle to display a picture, the virtual image display device displaying the picture in a displayable region as a virtual image appearing ahead of the vehicle, and
a camera in the vehicle providing a forward picture that indicates the scenery ahead of the vehicle along with three-dimensional information,
results in the following functions being performed by the one or more computers:
recognizing a target plane region in the scenery ahead of the vehicle, the target plane region being a continuous region having (i) a flatness equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold flatness and (ii) an area size equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold area size;
causing the virtual image display device to display the virtual image in the displayable region such that a driver of the vehicle views the virtual image in the target plane region recognized by the region recognition circuit;
converting the forward picture into a three-dimensional driver-viewpoint picture;
dividing the three-dimensional driver-viewpoint picture into a plurality of part-pictures;
extracting flat part-pictures each of which has a flatness equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold flatness from the plurality of part-pictures based on the three-dimensional information,
connecting the flat part-pictures that are continuously adjoining to provide a flat part-pictures set that has a flatness equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold flatness, and
designating, as the target plane region, the flat part-pictures set having an area size greater than the predetermined threshold area size; and
calculating the flatness as a flatness degree, which is a multiplicative inverse of a gap that is formed by two right planes that sandwich a plurality of points in a surface form of each part-picture or each flat part-pictures set based on the three-dimensional information.

4. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium according to claim 3 having further instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more computers in the vehicle, results in the following further functions being performed by the one or more computers:
recognizing a secured plane region within the target plane region, the secured plane region precluding a necessary information region that provides information needed to drive the vehicle; and
causing the virtual image display device to display the virtual image such that the driver views the virtual image in the secured plane region recognized by the region recognition circuit.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Iguchi Sei

Classifications

• B60K35/81

  for controlling displays · CPC title

• B60K35/234

  controlling the brightness, colour or contrast of virtual images depending on the driving conditions or on the condition of the vehicle or the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/233

  controlling the size or position in display areas of virtual images depending on the condition of the vehicle or the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/60

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

• G06K9/00832 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic