IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,485,755
Granted Patent B2
US 12,485,755 · App. 18/832,187 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Display control device, display system, and display control method

Inventor: Takeru Hayashi (Niigata, JP)
Assignee: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
B60K35/28B60K35/10B60K35/21B60K35/22B60K35/233B60K35/235B60K35/29B60K35/60B60K35/81B60K35/90B60K37/00B60K2360/166B60K2360/171B60K2360/179B60K2360/31
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,485,755
App. No.
18/832,187
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a display in which it is easy to ascertain a planned travel path. This display control device displays, in a first display region, a real-view-following navigation image that follows a specific superimposition target in a real view so as to maintain the positional relation with the specific superimposition target. When it is inferred that visibility in a forward view from a vehicle will be impaired, the display control device displays, in a second display region that has a vertical center which is disposed lower than the vertical center of the first display region, a bird's-eye-view navigation image which includes, in a diagonal view from above, at least a map image that is of the surrounding area of the vehicle and a path image that overlaps with the map image and that indicates a planned travel path.

Claims (34)

1 . A display control device that controls one or more image display units that display an image illustrating a planned driving route, wherein one or more processors:

acquire navigation information related to the planned driving route;

display, in a first display area, with a use of at least the navigation information, a real-view following navigation image that follows a specific superimposition target in a real view so as to maintain a positional relation with the specific superimposition target;

acquire, as forward visibility information, at least one of other vehicle information related to a position of an other vehicle, visibility information related to a distance that can be seen ahead, and weather information; and

display, in a second display area having a vertical center disposed below a vertical center of the first display area, a bird's-eye-view navigation image that includes, in a diagonal view from above, at least a map image of surroundings of an own vehicle and a route image overlapping with the map image and illustrating the planned driving route, when it is estimated, on a basis of at least the forward visibility information, that visibility of a forward view from the own vehicle will be impaired.

2 . The display control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first display area is an area overlapping with the real view over a front windshield of the own vehicle, and

wherein the second display area is disposed below the first display area and is an area not overlapping with the real view over the front windshield.

3 . The display control device according to claim 2 , wherein the second display area is an area overlapping with a shielding portion of the front windshield, that shields a field of view from inside the vehicle.

4 . The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the first display area is an area overlapping with the real view over a front windshield of the own vehicle, and wherein the second display area is an area overlapping with the real view over the front windshield, and is disposed in such a manner that an upper end thereof is higher than a lower end of the first display area.

5 . The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein when it is estimated that visibility of a forward view from the own vehicle will be impaired, the processor further executes first movement processing of moving the real-view following navigation image in a first moving direction including at least a left or right direction in which the other vehicle is relatively moving and processing of hiding the real-view following navigation image during or before the first movement processing.

6 . The display control device according to claim 5 , wherein, in the first movement processing, the processor changes a moving speed of the real-view following navigation image in a monotonically non-decreasing manner with respect to a relative moving speed of the other vehicle.

7 . The display control device according to claim 6 , wherein, in the first movement processing, the processor sets a moving speed of the real-view following navigation image to be linear with respect to a relative moving speed of the other vehicle.

8 . The display control device according to claim 6 , wherein, in the first movement processing, the processor sets a moving speed of the real-view following navigation image to be nonlinear with respect to a relative moving speed of the other vehicle.

9 . The display control device according to claim 5 , wherein when it is estimated that visibility of a forward view from the own vehicle will be impaired, the processor further executes second movement processing of moving the bird's-eye-view navigation image to the second display area in a second moving direction including either the left or right direction included in the first moving direction, and visibility enhancing processing of enhancing the visibility of the bird's-eye-view navigation image in the middle of or in advance of the second movement processing.

10 . The display control device according to claim 5 , wherein when it is estimated that visibility of a forward view from the own vehicle will be impaired, the processor further executes third movement processing of moving the bird's-eye-view navigation image to the second display area in a third moving direction including either the left or right direction not included in the first moving direction, and visibility enhancing processing of enhancing the visibility of the bird's-eye-view navigation image in the middle of or in advance of the third movement processing.

11 . The display control device according to claim 5 , wherein when it is estimated that visibility of a forward view from the own vehicle will be impaired, the processor further executes fourth movement processing of moving the bird's-eye-view navigation image to the second display area in a fourth moving direction that does not include a left-right direction but includes either an upward or downward direction, and visibility enhancing processing of enhancing the visibility of the bird's-eye-view navigation image in the middle of or in advance of the fourth movement processing.

12 . The display control device according to claim 1 , wherein when it is estimated that visibility of a forward view from the own vehicle will not be impaired, the processor further executes fifth movement processing of moving the bird's-eye-view navigation image from the second display area and visibility reducing processing of reducing the visibility of the bird's-eye-view navigation image in the middle of or in advance of the fifth movement processing.

13 . The display control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor determines a forward visibility state on a basis of the visibility information and the weather information, and when determining that the forward visibility state is a first forward visibility state, the processor displays the real-view following navigation image in the first display area,

wherein when determining that the forward visibility state is a second forward visibility state where a forward view is more difficult to see than in the first forward visibility state, the processor displays the bird's-eye-view navigation image in the second display area at a first luminance, and

wherein when determining that the forward visibility state is a third forward visibility state where the forward view is more difficult to see than in the second forward visibility state, the processor displays the bird's-eye-view navigation image in the second display area at a second luminance lower than the first luminance.

14 . The display control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor determines a forward visibility state on a basis of the visibility information and the weather information, and when determining that the forward visibility state is a first forward visibility state, the processor displays the real-view following navigation image in the first display area,

wherein when determining that the forward visibility state is a second forward visibility state where a forward view is more difficult to see than in the first forward visibility state, the processor displays the bird's-eye-view navigation image in the second display area at a first luminance,

wherein when determining that the forward visibility state is a third forward visibility state where the forward view is more difficult to see than in the second forward visibility state, the processor displays the bird's-eye-view navigation image in the second display area at a second luminance lower than the first luminance, wherein when determining that the forward visibility state is a fourth forward visibility state where the forward view is more difficult to see than in the third forward visibility state, the processor displays the bird's-eye-view navigation image in a third display area having a vertical center disposed below the vertical center of the second display area.

15 . A display system comprising:

the display control device according to claim 1 ; and

a head-up display device that displays a virtual image of the planned driving route in the first display area and the second display area.

16 . A display control method that controls one or more image display units that display an image illustrating a planned driving route, the display control method comprising:

acquiring navigation information related to the planned driving route;

displaying, in a first display area, with a use of at least the navigation information, a real-view following navigation image that follows a specific superimposition target in a real view so as to maintain a positional relation with the specific superimposition target;

acquiring, as forward visibility information, at least one of other vehicle information related to a position of an other vehicle, visibility information related to a distance that can be seen ahead, and weather information; and

displaying, in a second display area having a vertical center disposed below a vertical center of the first display area, a bird's-eye-view navigation image that includes, in a diagonal view from above, a map image of surroundings of an own vehicle and an image overlapping with the map image and illustrating the planned driving route, when it is estimated or predicted, on a basis of at least the forward visibility information, that visibility of a forward view from the own vehicle will be impaired by the other vehicle.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 26, 2024
From: HAYASHI, TAKERU
To: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 068090/0786 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2022013226 · Jan 31, 2022 · national
JP 2022085657 · May 26, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250135885A1 · May 1, 2025
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