INFORMATION PROVISION DEVICE, INFORMATION PROVISION METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM STORING INFORMATION PROVISION PROGRAM

• US 20160167514A1
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Michinari Shinohara, Yoshiaki Nishizaki
• Inventors: NISHIZAKI, Yoshiaki, SHINOHARA, Michinari
• Granted Patent: US 10,040,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/167 Vehicle dynamics information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/168 Target or limit values
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/177 Augmented reality
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/18 Information management
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/191 Highlight information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/195 Blocking or enabling display functions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/333 Lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/349 Adjustment of brightness
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• 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 35/60 : Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 : Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself
• 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 26/105 : with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors G02B26/101 takes precedence
• 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: G09G 2320/0626 : for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 : wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 : Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 : Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 : to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/025 : with scanning or deflecting the beams in two directions or dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 : Details of control of colour illumination sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 : for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

An information provision device, information provision method, and a non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the information provision method. Each of the information provision device and the information provision method includes projecting an image light to a light transmission member to display a for-driver information image indicating for-driver information to be provided to a driver of a mobile object in a prescribed display area, and displaying at a first point where a normal for-driver information image is displayed a priority for-driver information image in place of the normal for-driver information image, where the displaying includes displaying the normal for-driver information image at a second point different from the first point for at least some of a period during which the priority for-driver information image is displayed at the first point.

Claims

1. An information provision device comprising:

an image-light projection device configured to project an image light to a light transmission member to display a for-driver information image indicating for-driver information to be provided to a driver of a mobile object in a prescribed display area that is visually recognized by the driver through the light transmission member ahead of the mobile object in a direction of travel; and

a display controller configured to control, according to a prescribed priority for-driver information display condition, the image-light projection device to display at a first point where a normal for-driver information image is displayed a priority for-driver information image indicating priority for-driver information that has higher priority in provision to the driver than normal for-driver information according to the normal for-driver information image in place of the normal for-driver information image, wherein the display controller controls the image-light projection device to display the normal for-driver information image at a second point different from the first point for at least some of a period during which the priority for-driver information image is displayed at the first point.

2. The information provision device according to claim 1, wherein the display controller controls the image-light projection device to display the normal for-driver information image in a proximity of the priority for-driver information image for at least some of a period during which the priority for-driver information image is displayed at the first point.

3. The information provision device according to claim 1, wherein the normal for-driver information image is an instruction image indicating an instruction to the driver of the mobile object.

4. The information provision device according to claim 3, wherein the instruction image is a route navigation image indicating route navigation information providing a route to a prescribed destination to the driver.

5. The information provision device according to claim 1, wherein the priority for-driver information image includes an urgent instruction image indicating an instruction for urgent action to the driver.

6. The information provision device according to claim 5, wherein

the urgent instruction image includes a plurality of urgent instruction images with varying degree of urgency of the urgent action,

the plurality of urgent instruction images include a less-urgent instruction image with a lower degree of urgency, and a highly-urgent instruction image with a greater degree of urgency than the less-urgent instruction image, and

the display controller controls the image-light projection device to display the normal for-driver information image in a proximity of the less-urgent instruction image when the less-urgent instruction image is to be displayed at the first point, and to hide the normal for-driver information image when the highly-urgent instruction image is to be displayed at the first point.

7. The information provision device according to claim 6, wherein the highly-urgent instruction image is larger than the less-urgent instruction image in dimension.

8. The information provision device according to claim 6, wherein the highly-urgent instruction image has a greater brightness than the less-urgent instruction image.

9. The information provision device according to claim 1, wherein

the image-light projection device projects the image light to display the normal for-driver information image and the priority for-driver information image as a virtual image in the prescribed display area, and

distance between the driver and the virtual image is equal to or longer than 5 m.

10. The information provision device according to claim 1, wherein

the image-light projection device includes

a light emitter configured to emit the image light, and

an optical scanner configured to scan the image light emitted from the light emitter two-dimensionally, and

the image-light projection device projects the image light two-dimensionally scanned by the optical scanner to the light transmission member to display the normal for-driver information image and the priority for-driver information image in the prescribed display area.

11. A method of providing information, the method comprising:

projecting an image light to a light transmission member to display a for-driver information image indicating for-driver information to be provided to a driver of a mobile object in a prescribed display area that is visually recognized by the driver through the light transmission member ahead of the mobile object in a direction of travel, thereby providing the for-driver information to the driver; and

displaying, according to a prescribed priority for-driver information display condition, at a first point where a normal for-driver information image is displayed a priority for-driver information image indicating priority for-driver information that has higher priority in provision to the driver than normal for-driver information according to the normal for-driver information image in place of the normal for-driver information image, wherein the displaying includes displaying the normal for-driver information image at a second point different from the first point for at least some of a period during which the priority for-driver information image is displayed at the first point.

12. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing a computer of an information provision device to execute a method of providing information, the method comprising:

projecting an image light to a light transmission member to display a for-driver information image indicating for-driver information to be provided to a driver of a mobile object in a prescribed display area that is visually recognized by the driver through the light transmission member ahead of the mobile object in a direction of travel, thereby providing the for-driver information to the driver; and

displaying, according to a prescribed priority for-driver information display condition, at a first point where a normal for-driver information image is displayed a priority for-driver information image indicating priority for-driver information that has higher priority in provision to the driver than normal for-driver information according to the normal for-driver information image in place of the normal for-driver information image, wherein the displaying includes displaying the normal for-driver information image at a second point different from the first point for at least some of a period during which the priority for-driver information image is displayed at the first point.