DISPLAY CONTROL DEVICE, PROJECTION DEVICE, AND NON-TRANSITORY STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20170001522A1
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Published: 01/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MATSUMOTO, TAKENORI, MOCHIZUKI, MAKOTO, EMURA, KOICHI, KOBAYASHI, SHIGERU
• Granted Patent: US 9,969,266 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 2360/695 Dial features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09623 Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle G08G1/0967 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0967 Systems involving transmission of highway information, e.g. weather, speed limits transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

In a display control device, in accordance with speed limit information input from an input unit, a control unit senses change in a speed limit of a road where a vehicle travels and after that, in accordance with vehicle information input from the input unit, determines whether or not whether necessity to increase conspicuity of notification of the change in the speed limit. When it is determined that the necessity is high, a display unit is caused to switch display on a display medium from a first presentation image to a second presentation image that indicates a second speed limit by a first switching method. When it is determined that the necessity is not high, the display of the first presentation image is switched to the display of the second presentation image by a second switching method different from the first switching method.

Claims

1. A display control device comprising:

a receiver, which in operation receives vehicle information including at least one of information on a vehicle, intra-vehicle information, and extra-vehicle information and receives information on a speed limit of a road where the vehicle travels; and

a controller, which in operation controls an image generator generating a predetermined image based on the vehicle information and the information on the speed limit and outputting the predetermined image to a display medium, wherein

the predetermined image represents a presentation image that indicates the speed limit when displayed on the display medium, and

the controller

causes the image generator to generate a first predetermined image representing a first presentation image that indicates a first speed limit,

senses change in the speed limit of the road where the vehicle travels from the first speed limit to a second speed limit lower than the first speed limit based on the information on a speed limit of a road,

after sensing the change in the speed limit, determines whether or not necessity to increase conspicuity of notification on the display medium of the change in the speed limit is high in accordance with the vehicle information, and

when it is determined that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification is high, using the image generator, causes display on the display medium to be switched by a first switching method from the first presentation image to a second presentation image that indicates the second speed limit, or when it is determined that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification is not high, causes the display on the display medium to be switched by a second switching method different from the first switching method from the first presentation image to the second presentation image, wherein at least one of the receiver and controller is included in a processor.

2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein

when the vehicle information includes information that indicates a traveling speed of the vehicle,

the controller

when the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than the second speed limit, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is not high, or

when the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than the first speed limit and higher than the second speed limit, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is high.

3. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein

when the vehicle information includes information that indicates acceleration of the vehicle,

the controller

when the vehicle decelerates, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is not high, or

when the vehicle accelerates or when the vehicle travels at a constant speed, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is high.

4. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein

when the vehicle information includes information that indicates a relative speed to a preceding vehicle of the vehicle,

the controller

when the relative speed is negative, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is not high, or

when the relative speed is positive, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is high.

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

when the vehicle information includes information that indicates a wakefulness degree of an occupant of the vehicle,

the controller

when the wakefulness degree is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is not high, or

when the wakefulness degree is smaller than the predetermined value, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is high.

6. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein

when the vehicle information includes information that indicates notification to an occupant of the vehicle,

the controller

when the information that indicates the notification to the occupant of the vehicle is present, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is not high, or

when the information that indicates the notification to the occupant of the vehicle is not present, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is high.

7. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein

when the vehicle information includes information that indicates an age of an occupant of the vehicle,

the controller

when the age is lower than a predetermined value, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is not high, or

when the age is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is high.

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

when the vehicle information includes information that indicates a driving skill of an occupant of the vehicle,

the controller

when the driving skill is high, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is not high, or

when the driving skill is low, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is high.

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

when the vehicle information includes information that indicates an attention attraction object present near the vehicle,

the controller

when the attention attraction object is present, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is not high, or

when the attention attraction object is not present, determines that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is high.

10. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein

in the first switching method, the second presentation image is displayed after a lapse of first time after stopping the display of the first presentation image, and in the second switching method, the second presentation image is displayed after a lapse of second time after stopping the display of the first presentation image, the second time being equal to or more than zero and less than the first time.

11. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein

the first switching method causes larger change in luminance than the second switching method when the first presentation image is switched to the second presentation image.

12. The display control device according to claim 11, wherein

the first switching method is a method that causes the second presentation image to be displayed on the display medium by generating the second predetermined image of a second luminance different from a first luminance after stopping the display of the first presentation image on the display medium by stopping generation of the first predetermined image of the first luminance,

the second switching method is a method that causes the second presentation image to be displayed on the display medium by generating the second predetermined image of a third luminance different from the second luminance after stopping the display of the first presentation image on the display medium by stopping the generation of the first predetermined image of the first luminance, and

a difference between the first luminance and the second luminance is larger than a difference between the first luminance and the third luminance.

13. The display control device according to claim 12, wherein

the first luminance and the third luminance are identical to each other.

14. The display control device according to claim 11, wherein

the first switching method is a method that causes the second presentation image to be displayed on the display medium by generating the second predetermined image so that the luminance gradually increases to a second luminance larger than a first luminance during third time after stopping the display of the first presentation image on the display medium by stopping generation of the first predetermined image of the first luminance,

the second switching method is a method that causes the second presentation image to be displayed on the display medium by generating the second predetermined image so that the luminance gradually increases to the second luminance during fourth time after stopping the display of the first presentation image on the display medium by stopping the generation of the first predetermined image of the first luminance, and

the fourth time is longer than the third time.

15. The display control device according to claim 11, wherein

the first switching method is a method that causes the second presentation image to be displayed on the display medium by generating the second predetermined image so that the luminance gradually increases to a first luminance during fifth time after stopping the display of the first presentation image on the display medium by stopping generation of the first predetermined image of the first luminance,

the second switching method is a method that causes the second presentation image to be displayed on the display medium by generating the second predetermined image so that the luminance gradually increases to the first luminance during sixth time after stopping the display of the first presentation image on the display medium by stopping the generation of the first predetermined image of the first luminance, and

the fifth time is predetermined time that exceeds 20 milliseconds and the sixth time is longer than the fifth time.

16. The display control device according to claim 11, wherein

the first switching method is a method that causes the second presentation image to be displayed on the display medium by generating the second predetermined image of a first luminance after gradually decreasing a luminance of the first predetermined image to a predetermined luminance less than the first luminance during seventh time in stopping the display of the first presentation image on the display medium by stopping generation of the first predetermined image of the first luminance,

the second switching method is a method that causes the second presentation image to be displayed on the display medium by generating the second predetermined image of the first luminance after gradually decreasing the luminance of the first predetermined image to the predetermined luminance less than the first luminance during eighth time in stopping the display of the first presentation image on the display medium by stopping the generation of the first predetermined image of the first luminance, and

the seventh time is predetermined time that exceeds 20 milliseconds and the eighth time is longer than the seventh time.

17. A projection device comprising:

a receiver, which in operation receives vehicle information including at least one of information on a vehicle, intra-vehicle information, and extra-vehicle information and receives information on a speed limit of a road where the vehicle travels;

an image generator that generates a predetermined image based on the vehicle information and the information on the speed limit and outputs the predetermined image to a display medium; and

a controller that controls the image generator, wherein

the predetermined image represents a presentation image that indicates a speed limit when displayed on the display medium, and

the controller

causes the image generator to generate a first predetermined image representing a first presentation image that indicates a first speed limit,

senses change in the speed limit of the road where the vehicle travels from the first speed limit to a second speed limit lower than the first speed limit based on the information on a speed limit of a road,

after sensing the change in the speed limit, determines whether or not necessity to increase conspicuity of notification on the display medium of the change in the speed limit is high in accordance with the vehicle information, and

when it is determined that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is high, using the image generator, causes display on the display medium to be switched by a first switching method from the first presentation image to a second presentation image that indicates the second speed limit, or when it is determined that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is not high, causes the display on the display medium to be switched by a second switching method different from the first switching method from the first presentation image to the second presentation image,

wherein at least one of the receiver, an image generator and controller is included in a processor.

18. A non-transitory storage medium that stores a display control program performed in a display control device in a display system including:

an acquisition unit to acquire vehicle information including at least one of information on a vehicle, intra-vehicle information, and extra-vehicle information and acquire information on a speed limit of a road where the vehicle travels; and

an image generator to generate a predetermined image based on the vehicle information and the information on the speed limit and output the predetermined image to a display medium, the predetermined image representing a presentation image that indicates a speed limit when displayed on the display medium, the display control program causing a computer of the display control device to execute a process comprising;

causing the image generator to generate a first predetermined image representing a first presentation image that indicates a first speed limit;

sensing change in the speed limit of the road where the vehicle travels from the first speed limit to a second speed limit lower than the first speed limit based on the information on a speed limit of a road;

after sensing the change in the speed limit, determining whether or not necessity to increase conspicuity of notification on the display medium of the change in the speed limit is high in accordance with the vehicle information; and

when it is determined that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is high, using the image generator, causing display on the display medium to be switched by a first switching method from the first presentation image to a second presentation image that indicates the second speed limit, or when it is determined that the necessity to increase the conspicuity of the notification of the change in the speed limit is not high, causing the display on the display medium to be switched by a second switching method different from the first switching method from the first presentation image to the second presentation image.