HEAD-UP DISPLAY AND PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20160147073A1
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Onda, Kazuhisa, Ando, Hiroshi, Sakai, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 10,095,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1868 according to driving situations
• 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: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/308 by overlaying the real scene, e.g. through a head-up display on the windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0183 Adaptation to parameters characterising the motion of the vehicle
• 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: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications

Abstract

A head-up display includes a display unit displaying images in a display region defined on a vehicle windshield, a vehicle information acquisition unit acquiring vehicle information, a forward view information acquisition unit acquiring forward view information, a display object detection unit detecting a display object for which guidance information is required to be displayed in the display region, a display control unit, and a display form setting unit. The display control unit generates a guidance image indicating the guidance information of the detected display object and displays the generated guidance image over the display object in superimposed manner on the windshield. The display form setting unit calculates an annoyance value indicative of an annoyance level felt by a vehicle occupant when displaying the guidance image in superimposed manner, and sets a display form of the guidance image so that the calculated annoyance value is within a predetermined appropriate range.

Claims

1. A head-up display comprising:

a display unit displaying images in a display region defined on a windshield of a vehicle;

a vehicle information acquisition unit acquiring a vehicle information indicative of an operation state of the vehicle;

a forward view information acquisition unit acquiring a forward view information indicative of a forward view of the vehicle in a traveling direction;

a display object detection unit detecting, based on the forward view information and the vehicle information, a display object for which a guidance information is required to be displayed in the display region defined on the windshield;

a display control unit generating a guidance image to be displayed on the windshield so that the guidance image indicates the guidance information of the display object detected by the display object detection unit and is superimposed over the display object when seen from an inside portion of a compartment of the vehicle, and the display control unit displaying the generated guidance image on the windshield using the display unit so that the guidance image is superimposed over the display object; and

a display form setting unit calculating, based on the vehicle information, or based on both the vehicle information and the forward view information, an annoyance value indicative of an annoyance level felt by an occupant of the vehicle when the guidance image is displayed on the windshield in a superimposed manner, and the display form setting unit setting a display form of the guidance image generated by the display control unit under a condition that the calculated annoyance value is within a predetermined appropriate range.

2. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein

the display form setting unit estimates, based on the vehicle information and the forward view information, a flow of the forward view seen from the inside portion of the compartment of the vehicle, and calculates the annoyance value based on the estimated flow of the forward view.

3. The head-up display according to claim 2, wherein

the forward view information acquisition unit is capable of acquiring an environmental information indicative of a surrounding environment of the vehicle from an outside source in addition to the forward view information, and

the display form setting unit uses the environmental information acquired by the forward view information acquisition unit when calculating the annoyance value.

4. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein

the display form setting unit changes at least one of a size, a brightness, a shape, a movement frequency, or a display position of the guidance image depending on the annoyance value.

5. The head-up display according to claim 4, wherein

the display region used by the display unit for a display purpose includes a non-superimposed display region where a superimposed display over the display object is prohibited, and

the display form setting unit is capable of setting the display form of the guidance image so that a simplified image, which is acquired by simplifying the guidance image to be superimposed over the display object, is displayed in the non-superimposed display region.

6. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein

the display form setting unit estimates, based on the vehicle information and the forward view information, a changing rate of the forward view seen from the inside portion of the compartment of the vehicle, and calculates the annoyance value based on the estimated changing rate of the forward view.

7. A program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the program product comprising instructions to be executed by a computer, the instructions for implementing:

acquiring a vehicle information indicative of an operation state of a vehicle;

acquiring a forward view information indicative of a forward view of the vehicle in a traveling direction;

detecting, based on the forward view information and the vehicle information, a display object for which a guidance information is required to be displayed in a display region defined on a windshield of the vehicle;

generating a guidance image to be displayed in the display region defined on the windshield of the vehicle so that the guidance image indicates the guidance information of the display object and is superimposed over the detected display object when seen from an inside portion of a compartment of the vehicle and displaying the generated guidance image on the windshield so that the guidance image is superimposed over the display object; and

calculating, based on the vehicle information, or based on both the vehicle information and the forward view information, an annoyance value indicative of an annoyance level felt by an occupant of the vehicle when the guidance image is displayed on the windshield in a superimposed manner, and setting a display form of the guidance image under a condition that the calculated annoyance value is within a predetermined appropriate range.