Information presentation system

• US 10,005,391 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2017
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Mori, Hiroki, Funayama, Ryuji, Sato, Jun, Shimizu, Ayako, Kumai, Yuichi, Kawamori, Yuma, Matsumura, Takeshi, Shimizu, Tsukasa, Sakaguchi, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Alizada, Omeed
• Application Number:
  US15/809,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20180065552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons

Abstract

A system for presenting information to an occupant of a vehicle mounted with an autonomous driving system, includes: a display unit configured to display the information; a display control unit configured to cause the display unit to display information in any one of display modes among a setting status display mode in which setting information is displayed, an operation status display mode in which travel information is displayed, and a recognition status display mode in which recognition result information of the autonomous driving system is displayed; and an acquisition unit configured to acquire an occupant'"'"'s display mode switching instruction for switching the display mode, wherein the display control unit configured to switch the display mode of the display unit when the acquisition unit acquires the occupant'"'"'s display mode switching instruction.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an external sensor configured to detect surrounding information of the vehicle;

a display unit configured to display a recognition result associated with the surrounding information, of the vehicle, detected by the external sensor; and

a display control unit configured to cause the display unit to display the recognition result associated with the surrounding information, of the vehicle, detected by the external sensor,

wherein the recognition result is based on a certainty level of the recognition result, and

wherein the display control unit is configured to switch among a set of screens, including;

(A) a first screen which displays objects, indicating the recognition result of other vehicles travelling in front of the vehicle, in a superimposed manner on an image, corresponding to a front of the vehicle, that is imaged by the external sensor;

(B) a second screen which displays the image, corresponding to the front of the vehicle, that is imaged by the external sensor; and

(C) a third screen which displays another image, including an object indicating another recognition result corresponding to a travel lane of the vehicle, that is imaged by the external sensor.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display the recognition result as first information when the certainty level is lower than a predetermined value, and

wherein the display control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display the recognition result as second information, that is different than the first information, when the certainty level is equal to, or higher than, the predetermined value.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display the recognition result as a first object when the certainty level is lower than a predetermined value, and

wherein the display control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display the recognition result as a second object, that is different than the first object, when the certainty level is equal to, or higher than, the predetermined value.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is configured to switch between a recognition status display mode, in which the recognition result is displayed, and another display mode.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

an internal sensor configured to detect a travelling state, of the vehicle, that includes at least one of a speed, an acceleration, or a yaw rate, of the vehicle; and

a travel control unit configured to control a travel plan in an autonomous driving state, wherein at least one of the speed of the vehicle or a steering of the vehicle is controlled in the autonomous driving state,

wherein the display control unit is configured to switch between the recognition status display mode and a setting status display mode in which setting information, for the travel plan set by an occupant of the vehicle or the travel control unit, is displayed,

wherein information identifying a set vehicle speed and a set vehicle-to-vehicle distance is displayed between information associated with a set of objects corresponding to boundary lines of a driving lane, and

wherein another object, indicating that the setting information is being displayed, is displayed outside of the information associated with the set of objects corresponding to the boundary lines of the driving lane.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the recognition result corresponds to a travel lane associated with the vehicle;

and wherein the vehicle further comprises;

a vehicle position recognition unit configured to calculate the certainty level based on a position of the vehicle and map information.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is a head up display (HUD) projected on a windshield of the vehicle;

and the display control unit is configured to cause a virtual image, including the recognition result, to be projected on the HUD.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is configured to acquire travel information including at least one of a speed of the vehicle, a distance to another vehicle, or a lateral position of the vehicle;

and

wherein the display control unit is configured to cause the display unit to display the travel information.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is configured to cause the display unit to change the display of the recognition result based on the certainty level associated with a position of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is configured to cause the display unit to change the display of the recognition result based on the certainty level associated with a travel lane of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is configured to cause the display unit to change the display of the recognition result based on the certainty level of an external situation of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is a navigation screen display;

and

wherein the display control unit, when causing the display unit to display the recognition result associated with the surrounding information of the vehicle detected by the external sensor, is configured to;

cause the navigation screen display to display the recognition result associated with the surrounding information of the vehicle detected by the external sensor in association with map information.

13. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit, when changing the display of the recognition result based on the certainty level, is configured to change a degree of transparency of an object that corresponds to the recognition result.

14. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit, when changing the display of the recognition result based on the certainty level, is configured to change a color of an object that corresponds to the recognition result.

15. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit, when changing the display of the recognition result based on the certainty level, is configured to change a numerical value that corresponds to the certainty level of the recognition result.

16. A method, comprising:

detecting, by an external sensor of a vehicle, surrounding information of the vehicle;

displaying, by a display unit of the vehicle, a recognition result associated with the surrounding information, of the vehicle, detected by the external sensor; and

causing, by a display control unit of the vehicle, the display unit to display the recognition result associated with the surrounding information, of the vehicle, detected by the external sensor,

wherein the display control unit changes a display of the recognition result based on a certainty level of the recognition result, and

wherein the display control unit is configured to switch among a set of screens, including;

(A) a first screen which displays objects, indicating the recognition result of other vehicles travelling in front of the vehicle, in a superimposed manner on an image, corresponding to a front of the vehicle, that is imaged by the external sensor;

(B) a second screen which displays the image, corresponding to the front of the vehicle, that is imaged by the external sensor; and

(C) a third screen which displays another image, including an object indicating another recognition result corresponding to a travel lane of the vehicle, that is imaged by the external sensor.