Display control device for vehicle

• US 10,269,331 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Inventors: Sato, Noeru, Torii, Takeshi, Sumikawa, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Gordon
• Application Number:
  US15/439,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20170270899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 345632
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/149 Instrument input by detecting viewing direction not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/167 Vehicle dynamics information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/177 Augmented reality
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 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 Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/415 Glare prevention
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/308 by overlaying the real scene, e.g. through a head-up display on the windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8053 for bad weather conditions or night vision
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 : slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 : Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 : Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 : Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 : Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 : using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 : for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/38 : with means for controlling the display position

Abstract

A display control device for a vehicle includes: a display controller that displays a determined display image including a display of a traveling state of the vehicle on a windshield of the vehicle; a visibility reducing area detector that detects a presence or an absence of a visibility reducing area on the windshield, the visibility reducing area reduces visibility of a driver; and a gaze detector that detects a gaze of the driver. When the visibility reducing area is detected, but the display of the traveling state does not overlap with the visibility reducing area, and the driver keeps the gaze on the visibility reducing area, the display controller displays, on the visibility reducing area, a traveling direction information necessary for driving the vehicle.

Claims

1. A display control device for a vehicle, the display control device comprising:

a display controller configured to display display images on a windshield of the vehicle, the display images comprising a first display of a traveling direction information that is necessary to drive the vehicle and a second display of a traveling state of the vehicle;

a visibility reducing area detector configured to detect a presence or an absence of a visibility reducing area on the windshield, wherein the visibility reducing area has lower visibility of a driver than a visibility area that is provided on the windshield adjacently to the visibility reducing area; and

a gaze detector configured to detect a gaze of the driver,

wherein while the display controller displays the display images on the windshield, and when (1) the visibility reducing area detector detects the visibility reducing area, (2) the display controller displays the second display on the visibility area, and (3) the display controller determines that the driver keeps the gaze on the visibility reducing area, the display controller switches the display images from first images in that no displays are displayed on the visibility reducing area into second images in that the first display is displayed on the visibility reducing area.

2. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the display controller makes higher or larger one or both of a contrast and a size of the first display on the visibility reducing area.

3. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

the first display on the visibility reducing area comprises a superimposition display image of an information that is visually recognized through the windshield, and

when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected as the visibility reducing area and the dirty area overlaps with the superimposition display image, the display controller switches the information of the superimposition display image to a simple display image and displays the simple display image in an area in which the simple display image does not overlap with the dirty area, while the display controller determines that the driver does not keep the gaze on the superimposition display image.

4. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected, the visibility reducing area detector detects a size of the dirty area.

5. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 4, wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller displays the first display on the visibility reducing area.

6. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 5, wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to the determined range, the display controller executes a warning process.

7. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 4, wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller executes a warning process.

8. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first display on the visibility reducing area comprises a superimposition display image of an information that is visually recognized through the windshield, and

when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected as the visibility reducing area and the dirty area overlaps with the superimposition display image, the display controller switches the information of the superimposition display image to a simple display image and displays the simple display image in an area in which the simple display image does not overlap with the dirty area, while the display controller determines that the driver does not keep the gaze on the superimposition display image.

9. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 8, wherein when the dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected, the visibility reducing area detector detects a size of the dirty area.

10. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 9, wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller displays the first display on the visibility reducing area.

11. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 10, wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to the determined range, the display controller executes a warning process.

12. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 9, wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller executes a warning process.

13. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected, the visibility reducing area detector detects a size of the dirty area.

14. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 13, wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller displays the first display on the visibility reducing area.

15. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 14, wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to the determined range, the display controller executes a warning process.

16. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 13, wherein when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller executes a warning process.

17. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected, the visibility reducing area detector detects a size of the dirty area,

the display controller is further configured to:

switch the display images from the first images into the second images when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range.

18. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

when a dirty area having dirt on the windshield is detected, the visibility reducing area detector detects a size of the dirty area,

the display controller is further configured to:

when the size of the dirty area is greater than or equal to a determined range, the display controller switches the display images from the first images into the second images, and

when the size of the dirty area is less than the determined range, the display controller maintains the display images of the first images.

19. The display control device for the vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the first display includes an image of a real scene that is obscured by the visibility reducing area, and

wherein the real scene is a scene in front of the windshield.

20. A display control device for a vehicle, the display control device comprising:

circuitry configured to;

display display images on a windshield of the vehicle, the display images comprising a first display of a traveling direction information that is necessary to drive the vehicle and a second display of a traveling state of the vehicle;

detect a presence or an absence of a visibility reducing area on the windshield, wherein the visibility reducing area has a lower visibility of a driver than a visibility area that is provided on the windshield adjacently to the visibility reducing area; and

detect a gaze of the driver,

wherein while the circuitry displays the display images on the windshield, and when (1) the visibility reducing area detector detects the visibility reducing area, (2) the circuitry displays the second display on the visibility area that is provided on the windshield adjacently to the visibility reducing area, and (3) the circuitry determines that the driver keeps the gaze on the visibility reducing area, the circuitry switches the display images from first images in that no displays are displayed on the visibility reducing area into second images in that the first display is displayed on the visibility reducing area, and display the display images on the windshield.