IP Library Granted Patent US 12674981
Granted Patent B2
US 12674981 · App. 17/991,140 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Image display controller and image display controlling method for controlling image display on wearable terminal, and image displaying system

Inventor: Tomohiro Inada (Kariya, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G02B27/0172G02B27/0179G02B2027/0138G02B2027/014
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12674981
App. No.
17/991,140
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image display controller for displaying an image on a display of a wearable terminal is configured to estimate a self-location of the wearable terminal, determine a display position of an image on the display based on the estimated self-location, display the image at the determined display position, detect whether an actual location of the wearable terminal is in a vehicle compartment, and decrease a frequency of estimating the self-location when the actual location is detected in the vehicle compartment to a frequency lower than a frequency of estimating the self-location when the actual location is detected outside the vehicle compartment.

Claims (61)

1 . An image display controller for displaying an image on a display of a wearable terminal, wherein

the image display controller is configured to:

periodically estimate a self-location of the wearable terminal, determine a display position of the image on the display based on the estimated self-location, and display the image at the determined display position; and

detect whether an actual location of the wearable terminal is located within a vehicle compartment, and, when the actual location of the wearable terminal is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment, decrease a frequency of estimating the self-location below the frequency at which the self-location is estimated when the wearable terminal is detected to be located outside the vehicle compartment.

2 . The image display controller according to claim 1 , wherein

the image display controller is further configured to suspend subsequent estimation of the self-location and a change of the display position during a predetermined time period after the self-location is estimated when the actual location is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment.

3 . The image display controller according to claim 2 , wherein

the image display controller is further configured to display the image at a fixed position, which has been previously defined on the display,

until the self-location is initially estimated when the actual location is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment, or

until subsequent estimation of the self-location is completed after a failure in estimation of the self-location when the actual location is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment.

4 . The image display controller according to claim 3 , wherein

the image display controller is further configured to:

estimate the self-location of the wearable terminal based on an image captured by an image pickup device installed in the wearable terminal; and

communicate with a vehicle to detect whether the actual location of the wearable terminal is located within the vehicle compartment.

5 . The image display controller according to claim 2 , wherein

the image display controller is further configured to:

estimate the self-location of the wearable terminal based on an image captured by an image pickup device installed in the wearable terminal; and

communicate with a vehicle to detect whether the actual location of the wearable terminal is located within the vehicle compartment.

6 . The image display controller according to claim 1 , wherein

the image display controller is further configured to display the image at a fixed position, which has been previously defined on the display,

until the self-location is initially estimated when the actual location is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment, or

until subsequent estimation of the self-location is completed after a failure in estimation of the self-location when the actual location is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment.

7 . The image display controller according to claim 6 , wherein

the image display controller is further configured to:

estimate the self-location of the wearable terminal based on an image captured by an image pickup device installed in the wearable terminal; and

communicate with a vehicle to detect whether the actual location of the wearable terminal is located within the vehicle compartment.

8 . The image display controller according to claim 1 , wherein

the image display controller is further configured to:

estimate the self-location of the wearable terminal based on an image captured by an image pickup device installed in the wearable terminal; and

communicate with a vehicle to detect whether the actual location of the wearable terminal is located within the vehicle compartment.

9 . The image display controller according to claim 8 , wherein

the image display controller is further configured to:

communicate with the vehicle to detect whether the vehicle is traveling or a wearer of the wearable terminal is driving, and

when it is detected that the vehicle is traveling or the wearer is driving, along with the actual location being detected to be located within the vehicle compartment, decrease the frequency of estimating the self-location below the frequency of estimating the self-location when it is solely detected that the actual location is located within the vehicle compartment.

10 . The image display controller according to claim 8 , wherein

the image display controller is further configured to decrease the frequency of estimating the self-location when the image pickup device captures the image during the nighttime or against the sun.

11 . An image display controlling method for displaying an image on a display of a wearable terminal, the method comprising:

periodically estimating a self-location of the wearable terminal, determining a display position of an image on the display based on the estimated self-location, and displaying the image at the determined display position; and

detecting whether an actual location of the wearable terminal is located within a vehicle compartment, and when the actual location of the wearable terminal is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment, decreasing a frequency of estimating the self-location below the frequency at which the self-location is estimated when the wearable terminal is detected to be located outside the vehicle compartment.

12 . The image display controlling method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

suspending subsequent estimation of the self-location and a change of the display position during a predetermined time period after the self-location is estimated when the actual location is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment.

13 . The image display controlling method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

displaying the image at a fixed position, which is previously defined on the display,

until the self-location is initially estimated when the actual location is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment, or

until subsequent estimation of the self-location is completed after a failure in estimation of the self-location when the actual location is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment.

14 . The image display controlling method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

estimating the self-location of the wearable terminal based on an image captured by an image pickup device installed in the wearable terminal; and

communicating with a vehicle to detect whether the actual location of the wearable terminal is located within the vehicle compartment.

15 . The image display controlling method according to claim 14 , further comprising:

communicating with the vehicle to detect whether the vehicle is traveling or a wearer of the wearable terminal is driving; and

when it is detected that the vehicle is traveling or the wearer is driving, along with the actual location being detected to be located within the vehicle compartment, decreasing the frequency of estimating the self-location below the frequency of estimating the self-location when it is solely detected that the actual location is located within the vehicle compartment.

16 . The image display controlling method according to claim 14 , further comprising:

decreasing the frequency of estimating the self-location when the image pickup device captures the image during the nighttime or against the sun.

17 . An image displaying system, comprising:

a wearable terminal comprising an image pickup device and a display; and

a controller,

wherein the controller is configured to

periodically estimate a self-location of the wearable terminal based on an image captured by the image pickup device in the wearable terminal, determines a display position of the image on the display based on the estimated self-location, and display the image at the determined display position; and

communicate with a vehicle to detect whether an actual location of the wearable terminal is located within a vehicle compartment, and when the actual location of the wearable terminal is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment, decrease a frequency of estimating the self-location below the frequency at which the self-location is estimated when the wearable terminal is detected to be located outside the vehicle compartment.

18 . The image displaying system according to claim 17 , wherein:

the controller is further configured to suspend subsequent estimation of the self-location and a change of the display position during a predetermined time period after the self-location is estimated when the actual location is detected to be located within the vehicle compartment.