VEHICULAR DISPLAY CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20170158132A1
• Filed: 07/07/2015
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: KATOH, Takahira, SASANO, Takanori
• Granted Patent: US 10,040,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/179 Distances to obstacles or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• 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 2300/308 by overlaying the real scene, e.g. through a head-up display on the windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8033 for pedestrian protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• 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 27/02 : Viewing or reading apparatus stereoscopic systems G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 : Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 : Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 : Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 : Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vehicular display control apparatus controls an image reflecting off one of a windshield and a combiner to allow an occupant of a vehicle to visually recognize a virtual image of the image. The apparatus generates a line image and an obstacle image concerning an obstacle around the vehicle and acquires a relative direction of the obstacle with reference to the vehicle. When the obstacle exists ahead of the vehicle, a line virtual image is shaped in concave in a first direction. When the obstacle exists behind the vehicle, the line virtual image is shaped in concave in a second direction opposite to the first direction. A position of an obstacle virtual image depends on a relative direction of the obstacle with reference to the vehicle along a width direction of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicular display control apparatus that controls an image reflecting off one of a windshield and a combiner to allow an occupant of a subject vehicle to visually recognize a virtual image of the image, the apparatus comprising:

an image generation section that generates a line image and an obstacle image concerning an obstacle around the subject vehicle; and

an obstacle direction acquisition section that acquires a relative direction of the obstacle with reference to the subject vehicle,

wherein;

when the obstacle direction acquisition section acquires presence of the obstacle ahead of the subject vehicle, a line virtual image serving as the virtual image of the line image is shaped in concave in a first direction, the first direction being one of upward and downward;

when the obstacle direction acquisition section acquires presence of the obstacle behind the subject vehicle, the line virtual image is shaped in concave in a second direction, the second direction being opposite to the first direction; and

a position of an obstacle virtual image serving as the virtual image of the obstacle image depends on a relative direction of the obstacle with reference to the subject vehicle along a width direction of the subject vehicle acquired by the obstacle direction acquisition section.

2. The vehicular display control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an obstacle distance acquisition section that acquires distance information between the obstacle and the subject vehicle,

wherein

positional relation between the obstacle virtual image and the line virtual image depends on the distance information.

3. The vehicular display control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

a plurality of the line virtual images are available in an upward-to-downward direction; and

a display mode for the line virtual image toward the first direction differs from a display mode for the line virtual image toward the second direction out of the line virtual images.

4. The vehicular display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a display mode for part of the line virtual image nearer to the obstacle virtual image differs from a display mode for another part of the line virtual image different from the part.

5. The vehicular display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image is controlled so that the occupant is allowed to preferentially visually recognize the obstacle virtual image concerning the obstacle ahead of the subject vehicle in preference to the obstacle virtual image concerning the obstacle behind the subject vehicle when the obstacles concurrently exist ahead of and behind the subject vehicle.

6. The vehicular display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the number of the line virtual images and/or a line type of the line virtual image depends on whether the obstacle existing behind the subject vehicle or the obstacle existing ahead of the subject vehicle.

7. The vehicular display control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

a display mode for the obstacle virtual image depends on positional relation between the obstacle virtual image and the line virtual image.