Information presentation apparatus

• US 10,723,264 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Fujisawa, Yuki, Tanaka, Hiroaki, Shimonomoto, Ifushi, Tamagaki, Mitsuo, Mori, Takuya, Kamiya, Akira, Kawashima, Takeshi, Hayashi, Akihiro, Kume, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Mott, Adam R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sahafeyan, Seyyed Mustafa
• Application Number:
  US15/562,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20180086346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/338 Light strips
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 35/285 for improving awareness by directing driver's gaze direction or eye points
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 37/00 Dashboards as road-vehicle superstructure sub-units B62D25/14
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/18 for varying the light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/54 Lighting devices embedded in interior trim, e.g. in roof liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/78 for generating luminous strips, e.g. for marking trim component edges
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2040/0872 Driver physiology
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/20 Static objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4026 Cycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/4029 Pedestrians
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/80 Spatial relation or speed relative to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/12 Lane keeping
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 : Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 : related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/021 : Determination of steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 : Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0255 : Automatic changing of lane, e.g. for passing another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/029 : Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• 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: G08G 1/0962 : having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 : for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

An information presentation apparatus is provided. A light emission device and a HCU are mounted on a vehicle as the information presentation apparatus. The light emission device is arranged on an instrument panel, and displays at least one light emission spot in a linear light emission area arranged to extend in a width direction of the vehicle. The HCU acquires monitoring information including at least position information of the risk target detected by the peripheral monitoring device, and calculates a risk level of the risk target, detected in a traveling direction of the vehicle, based on the monitoring information. When detecting a plurality of the risk targets, the HCU selects one of the risk targets having a highest risk level as a highest risk target, and displays the light emission spot, indicative of a direction of the highest risk target, in the linear light emission area.

Claims

1. An information presentation apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle together with a peripheral monitoring device for detecting a risk target, to which a driver should pay attention, and presents information about the vehicle to the driver, the information presentation apparatus comprising:

a light emission display that is disposed on an instrument panel of the vehicle, and displays at least one light emission spot in a light emission area arranged to extend in a width direction of the vehicle;

a light emission control unit that controls, using a processor, a light emission mode of the light emission spot in the light emission area;

an information acquisition unit that acquires, using the processor, monitoring information including at least position information of the risk target detected by the peripheral monitoring device; and

a risk calculation unit that calculates, using the processor, a risk level of the risk target, detected in an area along a traveling direction of the vehicle, based on the monitoring information acquired by the information acquisition unit, wherein;

in response to the peripheral monitoring device detecting a plurality of risk targets, the light emission control unit selects one of the plurality of risk targets having a highest risk level calculated by the risk calculation unit as a highest risk target, and displays the light emission spot, indicative of a direction of the highest risk target as viewed from the driver, in the light emission area;

the information acquisition unit further acquires visual line information indicative of a detected visual line direction of the driver;

in response to determining that, based on the visual line information, the detected visual line direction of the driver is directed to the highest risk target after the light emission spot has been displayed, in which the light emission spot is defined as a first light emission spot and indicative of the direction of the highest risk target in the light emission area, the light emission control unit selects another one of the plurality of risk targets having a second highest risk level as a second highest risk target, and displays a second light emission spot in the light emission area, in which the second light emission spot is indicative of a direction of the second highest risk target as viewed from the driver;

the light emission control unit finishes displaying the first light emission spot in response to displaying the second light emission spot; and

in response to the highest risk level of the highest risk target increasing by an amount equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold after determining that the detected visual line direction of the driver is directed toward the second highest risk target, the light emission control unit again displays the first light emission spot indicative of the direction of the highest risk target.

2. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

in response to the second light emission spot being displayed in the light emission area, the light emission display shifts the light emission spot from a display position of the first light emission spot toward a display position of the second light emission spot.

3. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

in response to determining based on the visual line information that the detected visual line direction of the driver is directed to the second highest risk target, the light emission control unit continues to display the first light emission spot indicative of the direction of the highest risk target.

4. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

in response to determining based on the visual line information that the detected visual line direction of the driver deviates from the highest risk target, the light emission control unit displays another light emission spot in a range of the detected visual line direction of the driver in the light emission area to transition the detected visual line direction of the driver toward the highest risk target.

5. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

in response to two or more highest risk targets each having the highest risk level being disposed in the plurality of risk targets, the light emission control unit displays light emission spots, indicative of the direction of each of the two or more highest risk targets, in the light emission area.

6. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

in response to a plurality of highest risk targets being disposed in a predetermined range, the light emission control unit notifies the driver about a direction where the plurality of highest risk targets are collectively disposed by displaying a light emission spot, enlarged in the width direction of the vehicle, in the light emission area.

7. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the light emission control unit shifts a position of the light emission spot in the light emission area to follow a relative positional change of the highest risk target with respect to the vehicle.

8. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an audio control unit that warns, using the processor, the driver about a presence of the highest risk target with a sound from an audio reproduction device in response to the direction of the highest risk target as viewed from the driver deviating from an extension range of the light emission area.

9. An information presentation apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle together with a peripheral monitoring device for detecting a risk target, to which a driver should pay attention, and presents information about the vehicle to the driver, the information presentation apparatus comprising:

a light emission display that is disposed on an instrument panel of the vehicle, and displays at least one light emission spot in a light emission area arranged to extend in a width direction of the vehicle;

a light emission control unit that controls, using a processor, a light emission mode of the light emission spot in the light emission area;

an information acquisition unit that acquires, using the processor, monitoring information including at least position information of the risk target detected by the peripheral monitoring device; and

a risk calculation unit that calculates, using the processor, a risk level of the risk target, detected in an area along a traveling direction of the vehicle, based on the monitoring information acquired by the information acquisition unit, wherein;

in response to the peripheral monitoring device detecting a plurality of the risk targets, the light emission control unit selects one of the plurality of risk targets having a highest risk level calculated by the risk calculation unit as a highest risk target, and displays the light emission spot, indicative of a direction of the highest risk target as viewed from the driver, in the light emission area;

the information acquisition unit further acquires visual line information indicative of a detected visual line direction of the driver;

in response to determining that, based on the visual line information, the detected visual line direction of the driver is directed to the highest risk target after the light emission spot has been displayed, in which the light emission spot is defined as a first light emission spot and indicative of the direction of the highest risk target in the light emission area, the light emission control unit selects another one of the plurality of risk targets having a second highest risk level as a second highest risk target, and displays a second light emission spot in the light emission area, in which the second light emission spot is indicative of a direction of the second highest risk target as viewed from the driver; and

in response to a risk target other than the highest risk target and the second highest risk target not being detected after determining that the detected visual line direction of the driver is directed to the second highest risk target, the light emission control unit continues to display the second light emission spot until the second highest risk target disappears.

10. An information presentation apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle together with a peripheral monitoring device for detecting a risk target, to which a driver should pay attention, and presents information about the vehicle to the driver, the information presentation apparatus comprising:

a light emission display that is disposed on an instrument panel of the vehicle, and displays at least one light emission spot in a light emission area arranged to extend in a width direction of the vehicle;

a light emission control unit that controls, using a processor, a light emission mode of the light emission spot in the light emission area;

an information acquisition unit that acquires, using the processor, monitoring information including at least position information of the risk target detected by the peripheral monitoring device; and

a risk calculation unit that calculates, using the processor, a risk level of the risk target, detected in an area along a traveling direction of the vehicle, based on the monitoring information acquired by the information acquisition unit, wherein;

in response to the peripheral monitoring device detecting a plurality of the risk targets, the light emission control unit selects one of the plurality of risk targets having a highest risk level calculated by the risk calculation unit as a highest risk target, and displays the light emission spot, in which the light emission spot is defined as a first light emission spot and indicative of a direction of the highest risk target as viewed from the driver, in the light emission area;

in response to the driver sliding a driver'"'"'s seat, and an eye point of the driver shifting frontward or rearward, the light emission control unit sets a size of the first light emission spot to indicate the direction of the highest risk target as viewed from the driver;

the light emission control unit finishes displaying the first light emission spot in response to displaying a second light emission spot; and

in response to the highest risk level of the highest risk target increasing by an amount equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold after determining that a detected visual line direction of the driver is directed toward a second highest risk target, the light emission control unit again displays the first light emission spot indicative of the direction of the highest risk target.

11. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

in response to the driver sliding a driver'"'"'s seat, and an eye point of the driver shifting frontward or rearward, the light emission control unit sets a size of the light emission spot to indicate the direction of the highest risk target as viewed from the driver.

12. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the information acquisition unit further acquires visual line information indicative of a detected visual line direction of the driver.

13. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

in response to determining based on the visual line information that the detected visual line direction of the driver is directed to the highest risk target after displaying the light emission spot, indicative of the direction of the highest risk target defined as a first light emission spot, in the light emission area, the light emission control unit selects another one of the plurality of risk targets having a second highest risk level as a second highest risk target next to the highest risk target, and displays a second light emission spot, indicative of a direction of the second highest risk target as viewed from the driver, in the light emission area.

14. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

in response to the highest risk target having the highest risk level changed to another one of the plurality of risk targets, the light emission control unit displays the light emission spot, indicative of the direction of the highest risk target newly selected, in the light emission area.

15. The information presentation apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

in response to the light emission spot indicative of the direction of the highest risk target newly selected being displayed, the light emission control unit finishes displaying the light emission spot indicative of the direction of the one of the plurality of risk targets that previously had the highest risk level.

16. An information presentation apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle together with a peripheral monitoring device for detecting a risk target, to which a driver should pay attention, and presents information about the vehicle to the driver, the information presentation apparatus comprising:

a light emission display that is disposed on an instrument panel of the vehicle, and displays at least one light emission spot in a light emission area arranged to extend in a width direction of the vehicle;

a light emission control unit that controls, using a processor, a light emission mode of the light emission spot in the light emission area;

an information acquisition unit that acquires, using the processor, monitoring information including at least position information of the risk target detected by the peripheral monitoring device; and

a risk calculation unit that calculates, using the processor, a risk level of the risk target, detected in an area along a traveling direction of the vehicle, based on the monitoring information acquired by the information acquisition unit, wherein;

in response to the peripheral monitoring device detecting a plurality of the risk targets, the light emission control unit selects one of the plurality of risk targets having a highest risk level calculated by the risk calculation unit as a highest risk target, and displays the light emission spot, indicative of a direction of the first highest risk target as viewed from the driver, in the light emission area;

in response to the driver sliding a driver'"'"'s seat, and an eye point of the driver shifting frontward or rearward, the light emission control unit sets a size of the first light emission spot to indicate the direction of the first highest risk target as viewed from the driver; and

in response to a risk target other than the first highest risk target and the second highest risk target not being detected after determining that a detected visual line direction of the driver is directed to the second highest risk target, the light emission control unit continues to display a second light emission spot until the second highest risk target disappears.