In-vehicle system

Abstract

A relationship between a relative position with respect to a section where a progressing direction changes on a route and an arrangement height is set such that the arrangement height gradually increases from zero to MaxH. Then, the arrangement height gradually decreases from MaxH to zero along the route from a point on the near side of the section where the progressing direction changes (FIGS. 3B and 3G and FIGS. 4B and 4C). When traveling in the section where the progressing direction changes, a direction mark representing the progressing direction at each point on a road surface is displayed using a heads-up display so as to overlap with a position on an upper side, by an arrangement height set based on a relative position of the point with respect to the section and a set relationship, from the point.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle system comprising: a heads-up display configured to display an image using a virtual image on a front side of a front windshield of an automobile with respect to a user aboard the automobile; and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory and to: set a route to a destination; and display, using the heads-up display, a direction mark representing a progressing direction along the route at each guide point of a guide point set as viewed from the user, where each guide point of the guide point set is positioned at predetermined distance intervals on a road surface on the route in front of the automobile, wherein, for a curve section along the route where the progressing direction on the route changes in a left direction or a right direction by at least a predetermined amount, the processor is configured to: set an upward display section, which is a section from a first point within the curve section to a second point within the curve section, where the first point is, in the progressing direction, a point along the route positioned before a section reference point of a curvature radius of the curve section and the second point is, in the progressing direction, a point along the route positioned after the section reference point of the curvature radius of the curve section, and display, using the heads-up display, the direction mark for each of the guide points of the guide point set included in the upward display section at an arrangement height set for the direction mark at that guide point as viewed from the user using the heads-up display, wherein the arrangement height set for the direction mark at the guide point is set depending on a relative position of the guide point with respect to the upward display section, wherein the relative position and the arrangement height have a relationship that the arrangement height gradually increases from zero to a predetermined maximum height and then gradually decreases from the maximum height to zero as the relative position changes from a start point to an end point of the upward display section, and wherein at least one of the direction marks within the upward display section comprises a figure part representing a direction and a pillar figure part connecting the figure part representing the direction, in a vertical direction along the arrangement height, with the guide point associated with the direction mark as viewed from the user.

2. The in-vehicle system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to set the maximum height to increase as a curvature radius decreases in accordance with the curvature radius of a section where the progressing direction changes in the left direction or the right direction by at least the predetermined amount for which the upward display section has been set.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one implementation of a configuration of an in-vehicle system;

(2) FIGS. 2A to 2C are views illustrating one implementation of an arrangement and a display area of a heads-up display;

(3) FIGS. 3A to 3J are views illustrating one implementation of a method of setting an arrangement height and an inclination of a direction indicating object according to the embodiment of the present invention;

(4) FIGS. 4A to 4H are views illustrating one implementation of the method of setting an arrangement height and an inclination of the direction indicating object;

(5) FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating one implementation of a progressing direction display process;

(6) FIG. 6 is a view illustrating one implementation of a method of setting a shadow figure;

(7) FIGS. 7A to 7F are views illustrating a display example of the heads-up display; and

(8) FIGS. 8A and 8B are views illustrating another example of a direction mark.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(9) FIG. 1 illustrates one implementation of a configuration of an in-vehicle system.

(10) The in-vehicle system is a system to be installed in an automobile, and includes a heads-up display 1, a navigation system 2, and an input device 3 as illustrated in the drawing. Here, the navigation system 2 includes map data, a GNSS receiver that performs satellite positioning, and uses these data and receiver to perform a process of calculating a current position, a process of searching for a route to a destination set via the input device 3 and setting the route, and the like. In some implementations the heads-up display 1 and/or the navigation system 2 may include a microcontroller, central processing unit (CPU), or any other type of hardware processor that is able to read and execute instructions stored in memory.

(11) Next, the heads-up display 1 projects an image from a lower side onto a front windshield in front of a driver's seat as illustrated in FIG. 2A so that it is possible to display a virtual image VI on a front side of the front windshield as illustrated in FIG. 2B. Hereinafter, a description will be given by calling an area, illustrated in FIG. 2C, in up-down and left-right directions as viewed from a user being the driver of the automobile, where the heads-up display 1 can display the virtual image VI, as a “display area 201”.

(12) This display area 201 is fixedly set, and the heads-up display 1 can display only the virtual image VI overlapping with a point within a range FA farther from a range NA of a road surface in front of the automobile without being capable of displaying the virtual image VI so as to overlap with a point within the closer range NA of the road surface in front of the automobile as illustrated in FIG. 2B.

(13) Hereinafter, a direction mark display operation performed in the in-vehicle system will be described.

(14) First, a description will be given regarding a relationship between a curvature radius r of a section on the route where a progressing direction changes and an arrangement height H and an inclination θ of a direction indicating object, which are used at the time of displaying the direction mark for the section when the curvature radius r of the section on the route where the progressing direction changes is smaller than a predetermined threshold Thr in the present embodiment. Incidentally, the section on the route where the progressing direction changes is a curve section of a road through which the route passes, an intersection where the automobile turns right or left when progressing along the route, or the like.

(15) Here, the direction indicating object is a virtual object indicating the progressing direction of each point on the route arranged on a real space, and the navigation system displays a figure representing a state of the direction indicating object viewed from the user's viewpoint, as the direction mark, at a position overlapping with the direction indication object as viewed from the user using the heads-up display 1.

(16) In some implementations, a triangular object is used as the direction indicating object.

(17) Further, the arrangement height H of the direction indicating object is a height of the direction indicating object from the road surface, and the inclination θ of the direction indicating object is an inclination angle of the direction indicating object with respect to the horizontal plane. However, the inclination θ of the direction indicating object is set to zero when one surface of the triangle of the direction designation object faces upward (a face normal of the triangle is the vertical direction).

(18) First, in some implementations, a point in the periphery of the section with the curvature radius r, which becomes an upper end of a range in the up-down direction of the route when the automobile is positioned at a point where the upper end of the range in the up-down direction of the route as viewed from the user becomes the lowest, is set as a section reference point CP for the curvature radius r. Further, for the curvature radius r of the section, a travel distance Th1 on a near side of the section reference point CP on the route and a travel distance Th2 on a far side of the section reference point CP on the route are set so as to increase as the curvature radius r of the section decreases.

(19) That is, the travel distance Th1 and the travel distance Th2 are set, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, for the curvature radius r illustrated in FIG. 3A. As illustrated in FIG. 3D, the travel distance Th1 and the travel distance Th2 are set so as to be shorter than the distances Th1 and Th2 illustrated in FIG. 3B for the curvature radius r illustrated in FIG. 3C, which is larger than the curvature radius r illustrated in FIG. 3A. Incidentally, the travel distance is set to be measured with the progressing direction of the route as positive.

(20) Then, a section between a point where a travel distance to the section reference point CP becomes Th1 and a point where a travel distance to the section reference point CP becomes Th2 is set as an upward arrangement section. Further, a relationship among a travel distance D of each point on the route within the upward arrangement section to the section reference point C, the arrangement height H of a center MG of the direction indicating object 100 from the road surface illustrated in FIG. 3E, and the inclination θ of the direction indicating object 100 illustrated in FIG. 3F is set in accordance with the curvature radius r such that the relationship becomes a relationship as illustrated in FIG. 3B for a plurality of points with respect to the curvature radius r illustrated in FIG. 3A and becomes a relationship as illustrated in FIG. 3D for a plurality of points with respect to the curvature radius r illustrated in FIG. 3C.

(21) That is, as FIG. 3G illustrates the relationship between the travel distance D and the arrangement height H with respect to the curvature radius r illustrated in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3I illustrates the relationship between the travel distance D and the arrangement height H with respect to the curvature radius r illustrated in FIG. 3C, the relationship is set such that the arrangement height H gradually increases from zero to a maximum arrangement height MaxH between the point having the travel distance Th1 to the section reference point CP and the section reference point CP, and the arrangement height H gradually decreases from the maximum arrangement height MaxH to zero between the section reference point CP and the point having the travel distance Th2 to the section reference point CP.

(22) Further, the maximum arrangement height MaxH at the section reference point CP is set to increase as the curvature radius r decreases as illustrated in FIGS. 3G and 3I.

(23) Further, as FIG. 3H illustrates the relationship between the travel distance D and the inclination θ with respect to the curvature radius r illustrated in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3J illustrates the relationship between the travel distance D and the inclination θ with respect to the curvature radius r illustrated in FIG. 3C, the relationship is set such that the inclination θ gradually increases from zero to a maximum inclination Maxθ between the point having the travel distance Th1 to the section reference point CP and the section reference point CP, and the inclination θ gradually decreases from the maximum inclination Maxθ to zero between the section reference point CP and the point having the travel distance Th2 to the section reference point CP.

(24) Further, the maximum inclination Maxθ at the section reference point CP is set to increase as the curvature radius r decreases as illustrated in FIGS. 3H and 3J.

(25) When the section on the route where the progressing direction changes is a section where the progressing direction changes in the right direction as illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3C, the inclination θ of the direction indicating object 100 becomes an angle obtained by measuring an axis J connecting positions of points, each of which is on the upper side, by the arrangement height H set for the travel distance D, of the each point on the road surface within the upward arrangement section, clockwise as viewed in the progressing direction of the route as illustrated in FIG. 3F. On the other hand, when the section on the route where the progressing direction changes is a section where the progressing direction changes in the left direction, the inclination θ of the direction indicating object 100 is an angle obtained by measuring the axis J counterclockwise as viewed in the progressing direction of the route.

(26) Further, the relationship among the curvature radius r, the travel distance Th1, the travel distance Th2, the travel distance D, and the arrangement height H is set so as to satisfy a condition that a position where the direction indicating object 100 overlaps with a portion corresponding to at least a predetermined length or more of the above-described axis J as viewed from the user in the periphery of the section with the curvature radius r, is constantly included in the display area 201. As long as this condition is satisfied, the travel distance Th1 may be set such that a point on the near side by the travel distance Th1 from the section reference point CP becomes a point on the near side of the section on the route where the progressing direction changes, or becomes a point in the section on the route where the progressing direction changes. Similarly, the travel distance Th2 may be set such that a point on the far side by the travel distance Th2 from the section reference point CP becomes a point on the far side of the section on the route where the progressing direction changes, or becomes a point in the section on the route where the progressing direction changes. Further, the section reference point CP may be an arbitrary point as long as the condition is satisfied.

(27) The relationship among the curvature radius of the section on the route where the progressing direction changes, the position on the route, and the arrangement height and the inclination of the direction indicating object 100, which are used at the time of displaying the direction mark, has been described as above.

(28) Although FIGS. 3A to 3J illustrate the case where the section on the route where the progressing direction changes is the section where the progressing direction changes in the right direction, the relationship among the curvature radius of the section, the position on the route, the arrangement height of the direction indicating object 100, and the inclination of the direction indicating object 100 is set similarly as illustrated in FIGS. 4A to 4H even when the section on the route where the progressing direction changes is the section where the progressing direction changes in the left direction.

(29) Incidentally, FIGS. 4B, 4C, and 4D illustrate examples of the arrangement height H and the inclination θ of the direction indicating object 100, the relationship between the travel distance D and the arrangement height H, and the relationship between the travel distance D and the inclination θ for a plurality of points within the upward arrangement section in a case where the curvature radius r is relatively small as illustrated in FIG. 4A. Further, FIGS. 4F, 4G, and 4H illustrate examples of the arrangement height H and the inclination θ of the direction indicating object 100, the relationship between the travel distance D and the arrangement height H, and the relationship between the travel distance D and the inclination θ for a plurality of points within the upward arrangement section in a case where the curvature radius r is relatively large as illustrated in FIG. 4E.

(30) Meanwhile, when the section on the route where the progressing direction changes is the section where the progressing direction changes in the left direction, the inclination θ of the direction indicating object 100 is the angle obtained by measuring the above-described axis J counterclockwise as viewed in the progressing direction of the route as described above.

(31) Next, the progressing direction display process performed by the navigation system 2 will be described.

(32) FIG. 5 illustrates a procedure of the progressing direction display process.

(33) In the progressing direction display process, as illustrated in the drawing, the navigation system 2 first identifies a next turning section, which is a turning section which is to be passed next, on the set route based on the calculated current position and the map data, and calculates a curvature radius of the next turning section based on the map data (Step 502). Here, the turning section is a section on the route where the progressing direction changes.

(34) Then, it is checked whether the calculated curvature radius is smaller than the above-described threshold Thr (Step 504). When the curvature radius is not smaller than the threshold Thr, points set at regular intervals on the road surface on the route are set as progressing direction guide points, and the heads-up display 1 is used to display a figure, which represents a state of the direction indicating object 100 arranged at a progressing direction guide point with the inclination θ with respect to a route progressing direction at the progressing direction guide point viewed from the user's viewpoint, at a position within the display area 201 overlapping with the progressing direction guide point as a display mark, for each of the progressing direction guide points overlapping with positions within the display area 201 as viewed from the user (Step 508), and the processing returns to Step 502.

(35) On the other hand, when the curvature radius calculated in Step 502 is smaller than the threshold Thr (Step 504), it is checked whether a position overlapping with the point, on the near side by the travel distance Th1 from the section reference point CP of the next turning section, as viewed from the user has entered the display area 201 based on the calculated current position and the map data (Step 506). When the position has not entered, the processing proceeds to Step 508, the direction mark is displayed as described above using the heads-up display 1, and the processing returns to Step 502.

(36) Incidentally, a point in the periphery of the next turning section, which becomes an upper end of a range in the up-down direction of a route when the automobile is positioned at a point where the upper end of the range in the up-down direction of the route as viewed from the user becomes the lowest is set as the section reference point CP for the next turning section.

(37) On the other hand, when the position overlapping with the point, on the near side by the travel distance Th1 from the section reference point CP of the next turning section as viewed from the user, has entered the display area 201 (Step 506), a progressing direction guide point is directly set as an arrangement position with respect to the progressing direction guide point and an inclination=0 is set with respect to the progressing direction guide point, for each of the progressing direction guide points overlapping with positions within the display area 201 as viewed from the user among the progressing direction guidance points on the front route outside a section from the point on the near side by the travel distance Th1 from the section reference point CP of the next turning section to the point separated by the distance Th2 (Step 510).

(38) Next, arrangement positions and inclinations with respect to the progressing direction guide points in the section from the point on the near side by the travel distance Th1 from the section reference point CP of the next turning section to the point separated by the travel distance Th2 are calculated and set (Step 512).

(39) Here, a position on the upper side, by the arrangement height H set as described above with respect to the travel distance D from the progressing direction guide point to the section reference point CP, from the progressing direction guide point is set as the arrangement position with respect to each of the progressing direction guide points. Further, the inclination θ set as described above with respect to the travel distance D from the progressing direction guide point to the section reference point CP is set as the inclination with respect to the progressing direction guide point. However, the inclination θ is set as the angle obtained by measuring the axis J connecting the arrangement positions clockwise as viewed in the progressing direction of the route when the next turning section is the section where the progressing direction changes in the right direction, and is set as the angle obtained by measuring the axis J connecting the arrangement positions counterclockwise as viewed in the progressing direction of the route when the next turning section is the section where the progressing direction changes in the left direction

(40) Thus, for each of the progressing direction guidance points where the arrangement positions overlapping with the positions within the display area 201 as viewed from the user have been set in Steps 510 and 512, a figure representing a state of the direction indicating object 100, arranged at the arrangement position set with respect to the progressing direction guide point with the inclination set with respect to the progressing direction guide point toward the route progressing direction at the progressing direction guide point, viewed from the user's viewpoint is displayed, as the display mark, at the position within the display area 201 overlapping with the arrangement point, and a shadow figure is displayed (Step 514).

(41) Here, the shadow figure is a figure representing a shadow on the road surface of the direction indicating object 100. As illustrated in FIG. 6, a figure representing a state of a shadow object 101, which is an object having a shape obtained by vertically projecting the direction indicating object 100 arranged at a set arrangement position AP with a set inclination onto a road surface on the lower side, as viewed from the user's viewpoint is displayed, as the shadow figure, at a position within the display area 201 overlapping with the progressing direction guide point. However, a part of the shadow figure that overlaps with the direction mark is not displayed.

(42) Therefore, for example, when the direction indicating object 100 is arranged as illustrated in FIGS. 3B, 3D, 4B, and 4F, the shadow object 101 for each of the direction indicating objects 100 is set as illustrated in each drawing.

(43) Returning to FIG. 5, when the direction mark and the shadow figure are displayed (Step 514), it is checked whether the point on the far side by the travel distance Th2 from the section reference point CP of the next turning section deviates from the inside of the display area 201 to the outside of the display area 201 as viewed from the user (Step 516). The processing returns to Step 510 if the point does not deviate, and returns to Step 502 if the point deviates.

(44) Implementations of the progressing direction display process performed by the navigation system 2 has been described as above.

(45) In some implementations of the above-described progressing direction display process, when a route for turning left at an intersection has been set as illustrated in FIG. 7A, a plurality of direction marks 300 each presenting the progressing direction at each point on the road surface on the route are displayed so as to be viewable as if the direction mark exists at the point on the road surface representing the progressing direction on the real space as illustrated in FIG. 2C until the automobile approaches the intersection.

(46) On the other hand, until the automobile passes the intersection after approaching the intersection, the plurality of direction marks 300 each representing the progressing direction at each point on the road surface on the route are displayed so as to be viewable as if the direction marks 300 exist above the point representing the progressing direction on the real space at each timing by the heads-up display 1 as illustrated in FIGS. 7B, 7C, 7D, and 7E. Further, a shadow FIG. 301 is displayed together with the direction mark 300 so as to be viewable as a shadow, which exists at the point representing the progressing direction, of the direction mark 300.

(47) Then, after passing the intersection, the display of the direction mark 300 returns to the display in the mode of being viewable as if the direction mark 300 exists at the point on the road surface representing the progressing direction on the real space as illustrated in FIG. 7F.

(48) Here, the position on the real space that is viewable as if the direction mark 300 representing the progressing direction of each point exists does not change at each time point. Therefore, there is no discontinuity in display of the direction mark 300 representing the progressing direction of the same point.

(49) Further, a height of the position on the real space that is viewable as if the direction mark 300 representing the progressing direction of each point exists until the automobile passes the intersection after approaching the intersection gradually increases from a height of the road surface and then gradually decreases to the height of the road surface along the progressing direction of the route. Thus, the positions viewed as if the respective direction marks 300 exist have continuity, and the discontinuity does not occur in the route represented by the row of direction marks 300.

(50) Thus, the display of the direction mark 300 having discontinuity does not occur according to the present embodiment.

(51) Since the shadow FIG. 301 is displayed for each of the direction marks 300 so as to be viewable as if the direction mark 300 exists at the point on the road surface representing the progressing direction in the present embodiment, the user can more easily grasp the point on the road surface where the arrow represents the progressing direction using the shadow FIG. 301.

(52) Since the inclination of the direction indicating object 100 is set to be larger as the arrangement position is higher, it does not happen that an angle in the line-of-sight direction of the direction indicating object 100 arranged above with respect to the triangular plane becomes an excessively acute angle so that the progressing direction does not hardly viewable from the direction mark 300. Further, it is possible to present the change in the progressing direction by the row of direction marks 300 representing the direction indicating object 100 whose height gradually changes with a natural expression without discomfort using the row of direction marks 300 representing the direction indicating object 100 whose inclination gradually changes.

(53) Further, the position of the direction mark 300, which represents the progressing direction of the point until the automobile passes the intersection after approaching the intersection, within the display area 201 becomes a position on the upper side than that in the case of displaying the direction mark 300 at the position overlapping with the point on the road surface as illustrated in the drawings.

(54) Accordingly, it is possible to display the direction mark 300 to guide the progressing direction of the point even when a position overlapping with the intersection or a point in the periphery of the intersection as viewed from the user is set on the lower side of the display area 201 at the intersection and the point on the near side thereof.

(55) Incidentally, the case where the section on the route where the progressing direction changes is the intersection has been described in FIGS. 7A to 7F. Similarly, even in a case where the section where the progressing direction changes is a curve or the like, it is possible to display the direction mark 300 to guide the progressing direction of the point even when the position overlapping with the section or the point in the periphery of the section as viewed from the user is set on the lower side of the display area 201 without occurrence of discontinuous display of the direction mark.

(56) Meanwhile, an object having a shape of a pillar with the triangular direction indicating object 100 illustrated above as a top face and the shadow object 101 as a base may be used as the direction indicating object 100 used in the above embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B. In this manner, the user can more easily grasp the point on the route where the direction mark represents the progressing direction. In this case, the shadow figure is not displayed.

(57) Further, the travel distance Th1, the travel distance Th2, and the inclination θ are changed in accordance with the curvature radius r of the section on the route where the progressing direction changes in the above embodiment, but some or all of these may be fixedly set irrespective of the curvature radius r.

(58) Further, the heads-up display 1 capable of moving a display position of a virtual image in the front-rear direction of the automobile may be used as the heads-up display 1 according to implementations described above. In this case, it is preferable to set the position of the virtual image of each direction mark in the front-rear direction of the automobile to a position close to the arrangement position of the direction indicating object 100 represented by the direction mark as much as possible.

(59) It is intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents, that are intended to define the spirit and scope of this disclosure.