Image display device

• US 10,272,830 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2018
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Inventors: Suzuki, Dan, Kinoshita, Makoto, Yamazumi, Toru, Yamasaki, Kentarou
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/890,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20180257550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 340944, 340988, 340989, 340990, 340907, 340916, 340917, 340436, 3404255, 340901, 340905, 340435, 340925, 3409951, 34099524, 340908, 3405731, 340332
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/04 the devices being headlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/545 for indicating other traffic conditions, e.g. fog, heavy traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/547 for issuing requests to other traffic participants; for confirming to other traffic participants they can proceed, e.g. they can overtake
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2103/60 Projection of signs from lighting devices, e.g. symbols or information being projected onto the road
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

An image display device includes a light illuminator, a road-property detector, a road determiner, and an illumination controller. The light illuminator is configured to send out light frontward of a vehicle, to display an image on a road a pedestrian is going to cross. The road-property detector is configured to detect one or more road properties out of a plurality of road properties including a road shape, a road marking, and a road sign. The road determiner is configured to determine whether or not the road is permissible for the pedestrian to cross, on the basis of the one or more road properties. The illumination controller is configured to control display operation of the light illuminator, to keep the pedestrian from crossing the road, on the condition that the road determiner determines that the road is impermissible to cross.

Claims

1. An image display device, comprising:

a light illuminator configured to display an image on a road;

a detector configured to detect one or more road properties;

a controller configured to;

determine, based on the one or more road properties, a road size of the road on which a vehicle is traveling, the road size including at least one of a road width of the road or a number of lanes of the road;

determine whether the road is impermissible for a pedestrian to cross based on determining that the road size meets a threshold; and

project, using the light illuminator, the image on the road in response to determining that the road is impermissible for the pedestrian to cross based on the detected road size meeting the threshold, the image prompting the pedestrian to refrain from crossing the road.

2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

determines whether the road is impermissible for the pedestrian to cross based on determining that the road width meets a first width, and

projects, using the light illuminator, the image on the road in response to determining that the road is impermissible for the pedestrian to cross based on determining that the road width meets the first width, the image prompting the pedestrian to refrain from crossing the road.

3. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the controller:

determines whether the road is impermissible for the pedestrian to cross based on determining that the number of lanes meets a first number of lanes, and

projects, using the light illuminator, the image on the road in response to determining that the road is impermissible for the pedestrian to cross based on determining that the number of lanes meets the first number of lanes, the image prompting the pedestrian to refrain from crossing the road.

4. The image display device according to claim 3, wherein

the light illuminator includes headlights.

5. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein

the detector detects a road regulation of the road, and

the controller:

determines whether the road is impermissible for the pedestrian to cross based on determining that the road regulation indicates no-crossing, and

projects, using the light illuminator, the image on the road in response to determining that the road is impermissible for the pedestrian to cross based on the detected road regulation indicating no-crossing, the image prompting the pedestrian to refrain from crossing the road.

6. The image display device according to claim 5, wherein

the controller projects, using the light illuminator, the image on the road in response to determining that the road is impermissible for the pedestrian to cross based on the detected road size meeting the threshold and the detected road regulation indicating no-crossing, the image prompting the pedestrian to refrain from crossing the road.

7. The image display device according to claim 6, wherein

the image projected by the light illuminator is a no-crossing image for prohibiting the pedestrian from crossing the road.

8. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the image projected by the light illuminator is a no-crossing image for prohibiting the pedestrian from crossing the road.

9. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein

the light illuminator includes headlights.

10. An image display device, comprising:

a light illuminator configured to send light frontward of a vehicle to display an image on a road on which the vehicle is traveling and a pedestrian crosses;

a detector configured to detect one or more road properties; and

circuitry configured to;

determine, based on the one or more road properties, a road size of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the road size including at least one of a road width of the road or a number of lanes of the road;

determine that the road is impermissible for the pedestrian to cross based on determining that either the road size meets a threshold; and

project, using the light illuminator, the image on the road in response to determining that the road is impermissible for the pedestrian to cross based on the detected road size meeting the threshold, the image prompting the pedestrian to refrain from crossing the road.