Patent Application
20070236363
The present invention relates to a notification apparatus and a vehicle having the notification apparatus.
As a notification apparatus for enhancing riding comfort of vehicle passengers, there have been well known an apparatus including a display unit for displaying driving operations of a vehicle driver such as right turn, left turn, deceleration, and stop, in order to prevent the vehicle passengers from suffering motion sickness (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Problems to be Solved
The conventional notification apparatus, however, encounters a drawback in that the vehicle passenger cannot be prevented from suffering motion sickness if the vehicle passengers watch, for example, a television apparatus mounted in a vehicle, and look away from information display unit, resulting from the fact that the vehicle passengers cannot be prevented from suffering motion sickness unless the vehicle passengers carefully watch the information display unit which displays driving operations of a vehicle driver such as right turn, left turn, deceleration, and stop.
The present invention is made to solve the foregoing drawback, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a notification apparatus and a vehicle having the notification apparatus which can enhance riding comfort of the vehicle passengers even though the vehicle passengers may watch, for example, a television apparatus mounted in the vehicle.
Solution of Solving the Problems
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a notification apparatus, comprising behavior detecting means for detecting a behavior of a vehicle, video display means for displaying a video, imaging means for acquiring a video showing the front of the vehicle in a traveling direction, and control means for controlling a display of the video displayed by the video display means, in accordance with the behavior detected by the behavior detecting means.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed is operative to control a display mode of the video showing the front of the vehicle, and thus allows vehicle passengers to anticipate and prepare for the change of the vehicle behavior even though the vehicle passengers may watch, for example, TV pictures displayed by the video display means, thereby enhancing riding comfort of the vehicle passengers.
Further, the notification apparatus according to the present invention may further comprise acceleration detecting means for detecting of the vehicle, and the behavior detecting means may detect the behavior on the basis of the acceleration detected by the acceleration detecting means.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can reliably detect an acceleration imparted to the vehicle as the vehicle behavior.
Further, in the notification apparatus according to the present invention, the behavior detecting means may detect the behavior on the basis of vehicle driver's operation to the vehicle.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can reliably detect a behavior imparted to the vehicle such as left or right turn, acceleration or deceleration run, resulting from the fact that the behavior detecting means detects the vehicle behavior based on vehicle driver's operation to the vehicle such as steering operation, or accelerator operation.
Further, the notification apparatus according to the present invention may further comprise navigation means for guiding the vehicle along a travel route, and the behavior detecting means may detect the behavior on the basis of the travel route along which the navigation means guides the vehicle.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can anticipate a behavior to be imparted to the vehicle and let the vehicle passengers know it in advance, resulting from the fact that the notification apparatus can obtain roadway information in front of the vehicle in the traveling direction with ease.
Further, in the notification apparatus according to the present invention, the behavior detecting means may detect the behavior on the basis of the video acquired by the imaging means.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can anticipate a behavior to be imparted to the vehicle with ease and let the vehicle passengers know it in advance, resulting from the fact that the notification apparatus can obtain roadway information in front of the vehicle in the traveling direction with ease.
Further, in the notification apparatus according to the present invention, the control means may control the video display means to have the video display means display the video acquired by the imaging means.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can anticipate a behavior to be imparted to the vehicle with ease and let the vehicle passengers know it in advance, resulting from the fact that the notification apparatus can obtain roadway information in front of the vehicle in the traveling direction with ease.
Further, in the notification apparatus according to the present invention, the control means may control the video display means to have the video display means display the video acquired by the imaging means in a split screen.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can allow vehicle passengers to anticipate and prepare for the change of the vehicle behavior even though the vehicle passengers may watch, for example, TV pictures displayed by the video display means, resulting from the fact that the notification apparatus can have the video display means display the video showing the front of the vehicle even while the TV picture is displayed by the video display means in accordance with a behavior imparted to the vehicle.
Further, in the notification apparatus according to the present invention the control means may control the video display means to have the split screen displayed by the video display means moved in accordance with the behavior detected by the behavior detecting means.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can allow vehicle passengers to anticipate the vehicle behavior, resulting from the fact that the video display means is controlled to have the split screen displayed by the video display means moved in accordance with the behavior.
Further, in the notification apparatus according the present invention, the control means may control the video display means to have the split screen displayed by the video display means moved selectively in a moving direction and at a moving speed determined in accordance with a magnitude level of the behavior detected by the behavior detecting means.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can allow vehicle passengers to anticipate the vehicle behavior, resulting from the fact that the video display means is controlled to have the split screen displayed by the video display means moved selectively in the moving direction and at the moving speed determined in accordance with a magnitude level of the behavior.
Further, in the notification apparatus according to the present invention, the control means may control the video display means to have the split screen displayed by the video display means moved in a moving direction determined in accordance with a relief of a roadway detected by the behavior detecting means.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can allow vehicle passengers to anticipate the relief of the roadway, resulting from the fact that the video display means is controlled to have the split screen displayed by the video display means moved in accordance with the relief of the roadway.
In the notification apparatus according to the present invention, the control means may control the video display means to have a moving direction of the split screen displayed by the video display means changed in keeping with a position of a vehicle passenger sitting in a vehicle seat.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can allow vehicle passengers to recognize that the vehicle turns left or right correctly whenever the vehicle turns left or right even though the vehicle passengers sit in rear-facing seats and the screen of the video display means is facing toward the traveling direction of the vehicle, viz., the display screen of the video display means is facing toward a direction opposite to the rear of the vehicle, resulting from the split screen is moved in keeping with viewing fields of the vehicle passengers.
Further, in the notification apparatus according to the present invention, the control means may control the video display means to have a size of the split screen displayed by the video display means changed in accordance with a magnitude level of the behavior detected by the behavior detecting means.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can allow the vehicle passengers to anticipate the level of the vehicle behavior and prepare for the vehicle behavior, resulting from the fact that the size of the split screen is controlled in accordance with the magnitude level of the behavior.
Further, in the notification apparatus according to the present invention, the control means may control the video display means to have a transparency level of the split screen displayed by the video display means changed in accordance with a magnitude level of the behavior detected by the behavior detecting means.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can allow the vehicle passengers to anticipate the level of the vehicle behavior and prepare for the vehicle behavior, resulting from the fact that the transparency level of the split screen is controlled in accordance with the magnitude level of the behavior.
Further, in the notification apparatus according to the present invention, the control means may control the video display means to have the video display means display the video acquired by the imaging means in an interrupted screen.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can allow vehicle passengers to anticipate the change of the vehicle behavior in the middle of watching, for example, TV pictures, resulting from the fact that the video display means is controlled to have the TV pictures interrupted and the video showing the front of the vehicle displayed in accordance with a behavior imparted to the vehicle.
Further, in the notification apparatus according to the present invention, the control means may control the video display means to have a transparency level of the interrupted screen displayed by the video display means changed in accordance with a magnitude level of the behavior detected by the behavior detecting means.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can allow the vehicle passengers to anticipate the level of the vehicle behavior and prepare for the vehicle behavior, resulting from the fact that the transparency level of the split screen is controlled in accordance with the magnitude level of the behavior.
Further, the notification apparatus according to the present invention may comprise setting means for setting a display mode of the video displayed by the video display means.
The notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed can allow vehicle passengers to set the display mode using the setting means.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle having any one of the aforementioned notification apparatuses.
The vehicle having the notification apparatus according to the present invention thus constructed is operative to control a display mode of the video showing the front of the vehicle, and thus allows vehicle passengers to anticipate and prepare for the change of the vehicle behavior even though the vehicle passengers may watch, for example, TV pictures displayed by the video display means, thereby enhancing riding comfort of the vehicle passengers.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a notification apparatus and a vehicle having the notification apparatus which can enhance riding comfort of the vehicle passengers even though the vehicle passengers may watch, for example, a television apparatus mounted in the vehicle.
A preferred embodiment of a notification apparatus and a vehicle having the notification apparatus according to the present invention will be described hereinafter in accordance with accompanying drawings.
The following description will be directed to a preferred embodiment of a notification apparatus and a vehicle having the notification apparatus according to the present invention with reference to the drawings of
The construction of the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 constituted by a motion sickness prevention apparatus will be described first.
The construction of the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 is mounted in a vehicle. The present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 is shown in
The acceleration detecting means 1 is constituted by at least one of a speed sensor for detecting acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle, an angular speed sensor for detecting an angular speed of the vehicle, and a movement sensor for detecting an movement (pitching, rolling) frequency of the vehicle, and detects at least one of accelerations along a longitudinal direction, an altitudinal direction, and a traveling direction based on at least one of the acceleration detected by the speed sensor, the angular speed detected by the angular speed, and the movement frequency detected by the movement sensor.
The behavior detecting means 4 detects at least one of vehicle behaviors including right turn, left turn, acceleration, and deceleration runs of the vehicle, based on the output from the acceleration detecting means 1.
The navigation means 2 is constituted by a commonly known navigation apparatus, and includes a GPS receiver for acquiring a current position, a memory for storing map information, operation inputting means for permitting a user to input a destination point, a route searching unit for searching a recommended travel route starting from the current position acquired by the GPS receiver to the destination point inputted by the operation inputting means, and a display unit for displaying the recommended in combination with roadway information.
The behavior detecting means 4 detects at least one of vehicle behaviors including right turn or left turn, acceleration or deceleration, ascending or descending run of the vehicle based on the output from the navigation means 2. The behavior detecting means 4 receives roadway information on a route from the navigation means 2 while the vehicle is guided by the navigation means 2 along the recommended travel route. On the other hand, the behavior detecting means 4 receives roadway information in front of the vehicle from the navigation means 2 while the vehicle is not guided by the navigation means 2.
The roadway information received by the behavior detecting means 4 from the navigation means 2 includes angle of right turn or left turn, curvature of roadway, angle of roadway gradient, angle of bank, condition of roadway surface, width of roadway, presence or absence of traffic signal, ascending run or descending run, right turn lane run or left turn lane run, and/or the like.
The imaging means (video acquiring means) 3 is constituted by a camera unit, and takes a video in front of the vehicle. The behavior detecting means 4 obtains roadway information in front of the vehicle after processing the mage taken by the imaging means 3, and detects at least one of vehicle behaviors including right turn or left turn, acceleration or deceleration, or ascending or descending run of the vehicle. The roadway information obtained by the behavior detecting means 4 as a result of processing the video includes angle of right turn or left turn, curvature of roadway, angle of roadway gradient, angle of bank, condition of roadway surface, width of roadway, presence or absence of traffic signal, ascending run or descending run, right turn lane run or left turn lane run, and/or the like, similar to the roadway information obtained by the behavior detecting means 4 from the navigation means 2.
Further, the behavior detecting means 4 is constituted by a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and/or the like, and designed to detect the behavior of the vehicle, in response to the operation of a vehicle driver. This means that the behavior detecting means 4 detects at least one of right turn, left turn, acceleration, deceleration run of the vehicle behavior in response to at least one of steering operation, accelerator operation, brake operation, engine braking operation, shift-change operation, turn signal indicator operation, and hazard indicator operation by a vehicle driver.
Further, the behavior detecting means 4 divides the detected acceleration or deceleration, right turn or left turn run of the vehicle into a plurality of scales, i.e., levels. This means that the behavior detecting means 4 determines the corresponding level of, for example, the detected acceleration or deceleration run of the vehicle, after comparing the acceleration detected by the acceleration detecting means 1 with a plurality of threshold values.
The video creation means 5 is constituted by, for example, a game machine, an audio-visual reproduction apparatus such as a television or a DVD (Digital Video Disc) player.
The video display means 8 is constituted by a display device such as a liquid crystal display or a screen to have videos projected thereon, and displays TV pictures, movies, game, and/ or the like. The video display means 8 may be any position such as a rear seat, or a ceiling, as long as the video display means 8 can be seen by vehicle passengers other than the driver. It is needless to mention that the video display means 8 may be disposed in a position where it can be seen by the vehicle driver, but it is preferable that the video display means 8 is disposed in a position where it can be seen by the vehicle passengers in priority to others.
The control means 6 is constituted by the above-mentioned computer, and controls, if necessary, the video display means 8 to have the display means 8 display, for example, the video taken by the imaging means 3, in accordance with the behavior detected by the behavior detecting means 4.
The control means 6 can have the video display means 8 display the video taken by the imaging means 3 selectively in a plurality of display modes. While the video display means 8 displays a TV picture, or the like, as shown in
The behavior detecting means 4 determines the corresponding level of the detected acceleration or deceleration, right turn or left turn run of the vehicle, and the control means 6 has the video display means 8 display the video showing the front of the vehicle selectively in the full screen and the split screen 21 of the video display means 8 for a predetermined time period, if the level of the detected behavior of the vehicle is higher than a predetermined level. After the predetermined time period elapses, the video display means 8 displays again the previously watched TV picture or the like at the full screen mode.
Further, the control means 6 changes the size of the split screen displayed by the video display means 8 in accordance with the level of the detected behavior of the vehicle detected by the behavior detecting means 4. If, for example, the level of the detected acceleration or deceleration, right turn or left turn run of the vehicle is lower than a predetermined level, i.e., the level of the acceleration or deceleration is lower than a predetermined level, the roadway curve is lower than a predetermined level, or the like, the control means 6 has the video display means 8 display a small split screen 22, as shown in
Further, the control means 6 move the split screen within the screen displayed by the video display means 8 at least one direction or two or more directions of upward, downward, left, right, and oblique directions, in accordance with the level of the detected behavior of the vehicle detected by the behavior detecting means 4.
If, for example, the vehicle turns left, the control means 6 moves the split screen 24 within the screen displayed by the video display means 8 in a left direction for a predetermined time period, as shown in
Further, the control means 6 may move the split screen 26 within the screen displayed by the video display means 8 in accordance with a relief of the roadway. If, for example, the vehicle travels ascending slope or accelerates the speed, the control means 6 may move the split screen 26 within the screen displayed by the video display means 8 in an upward direction for a predetermined time period, as shown in
Further, if the vehicle accelerates the speed, the control means 6 may move the split screen 26 within the screen in a downward direction for a predetermined time period, as shown in
Further, the control means 6 controls the moving speed of the split screen within the screen displayed by the video display means 8 if the split screen is moved into at least one direction or two or more directions of upward, downward, left, right, and oblique directions in accordance with the level of the vehicle behavior detected by the behavior detecting means 4.
If, for example, the vehicle turns left at an accelerated rate as in the case shown in
In the case that the vehicle passengers sit in rear-facing seats and the screen of the video display means 8 is facing toward the traveling direction of the vehicle, viz., the display screen of the video display means 8 is facing toward a direction opposite to the rear of the vehicle, the split screen may be moved in keeping with viewing fields of the vehicle passengers for a predetermined time period.
This means that the split screen 24 or 25 may be moved in a direction opposite to that shown in
Further, the control means 6 changes the transparency level of the split screen displayed by the video display means 8, in accordance with the level of the detected behavior of the vehicle detected by the behavior detecting means 4.
If, for example, the level of the acceleration or deceleration, right turn or left turn run is high, the control means 6 has the video display means 8 display a less transparent (sharp) split screen 29 within the screen displayed by the video display means 8 as shown in
As the level of the acceleration or deceleration, right turn or left turn run is gradually decreased, the control means 6 has the video display means 8 display more transparent (see-through) split screens 30 and 31 within the screen displayed by the video display means 8 respectively as shown in
If, for example, the vehicle turns left at an accelerated rate, the control means 6 may change the transparency level of the split screen in such a manner that the transparency level of the split screen is changed from the higher level to the lower level or vice versa for a predetermined time period.
The setting means 7 is constituted by an operational inputting unit such as a keyboard and a touch panel and sets the display mode of the video displayed by the video display means 8.
This means that the setting means 7 sets whether the notification apparatus should be activated or not, whether the video display means 8 should display an interrupted (full) screen or a split screen, a time period for which the interrupted screen or the split screen is to be displayed, a size of the split screen if the split screen is displayed, and/or the like.
Further, the setting means 7 sets whether the control means 6 should have the split screen displayed by the video display means 8 moved or not, the moving speed of the split screen controlled or not, the size of the split screen changed or not, the transparency level of the split screen controlled or not, the transparency level of the split screen changed or not, and/ or the like.
The control means 6 may have the video display means 8 display the TV picture in the center, and the video showing the front of the vehicle picture taken by the imaging means 3 around the TV picture, as shown in
The operation of the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 will be described with reference a flowchart shown in
As shown in
The behavior detecting means 4 may calculate the shape of the roadway in front of the vehicle based on the image in front of the vehicle outputted from the imaging means 3, and detect the level of the left or right turn based on the shape of the roadway in front of the vehicle, thus calculated.
Further, the behavior detecting means 4 is operated to detect the level of acceleration or deceleration run of the vehicle based on the acceleration in the traveling direction of the vehicle outputted from the acceleration detecting means 1, the throttle opening of throttle valve (accelerator) and brake operation of the vehicle, vehicle speed information outputted from the navigation means 2, and/or the like.
The behavior detecting means 4 may calculate the current vehicle speed based on the image in front of the vehicle currently outputted from the imaging means 3 and the image in front of the vehicle in past outputted from the imaging means, and detect the level of acceleration run based on the current vehicle speed thus calculated.
The control means 6 is then operated to decide a display position, a moving direction, a moving speed, a size, a transparency level, and/or change of the transparency level of the split screen, in accordance with the current behavior of the vehicle detected in the step S1 (step S2), synthesizes a split screen from the image taken by the imaging means 3, and have the split screen displayed within the screen of the video display means 8 in accordance with the display position, the moving direction, the moving speed, the size, the transparency level, and/or change of the transparency level of the split screen decided in the step S2 (step S3).
Here, it is assumed that the display mode such as the display position, the moving direction, the moving speed, the size, the transparency level, and/or change of the transparency level of the split screen is set by the vehicle driver using the setting means 7.
If the process in the step S3 is completed, it is judged whether or not a predetermined time period elapses (step S4). If it is judged that the predetermined time period elapses, the split screen disappears (step S5), and the TV picture appears.
While it has been described that the setting means 7 has been in advance operated by the vehicle driver to have the split screen displayed, this does not limit the present invention. In the case that the interrupted screen is displayed, the same operation is carried out except for the process of deciding the display position, the moving direction, the moving speed, and/or the size in the step S2, and thus not will be described to avoid tedious repetition.
As will be appreciated from the foregoing description, it will be understood that the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 allows vehicle passengers to anticipate and prepare for the change of the vehicle behavior even though the vehicle passengers may watch, for example, TV pictures displayed by the video display means, thereby enhancing riding comfort of the vehicle passengers, resulting from the fact that the notification apparatus 10 comprises behavior detecting means 4 for detecting a behavior of a vehicle, video display means 8 for displaying a video, imaging means 3 for taking a video ahead toward the traveling direction of the vehicle and control means 6 for controlling a display mode, in which the video display means 8 displays the obtained video, in accordance with the behavior detected by the behavior detecting means 4.
Further, the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 can reliably detect a behavior imparted to the vehicle such as acceleration or deceleration run, resulting from the fact that the notification apparatus 10 comprises acceleration detecting means 1, and the behavior detecting means 4 detects the behavior based on an output from the acceleration detecting means 1.
Further, the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 can reliably detect a behavior imparted to the vehicle such as left or right turn, acceleration or deceleration run resulting from the fact that the behavior detecting means 4 detects at least one of vehicle behaviors including right turn, left turn, acceleration, and deceleration runs of the vehicle, based on at least one of steering operation, accelerator operation, brake operation, shift-change operation, engine braking operation, turn signal indicator operation, and hazard indicator operation by the vehicle driver.
Further, the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 can anticipate a behavior to be imparted to the vehicle with ease and let the vehicle passengers know it in advance, resulting from the fact that the notification apparatus 10 comprises navigation means for guiding the vehicle along a travel route, and the behavior detecting means 4 detects the behavior based on an output from the navigation means 2.
Further, the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 can recognize roadway information ahead to the traveling direction of the vehicle and anticipate a behavior to be imparted to the vehicle with ease, and let the vehicle passengers know it in advance, resulting from the fact that the behavior detecting means 4 detects the behavior based on an output from the imaging means 3. In addition, the behavior detecting means 4 may detect the behavior based on at least one of outputs outputted from the navigation means and the imaging means 3.
Further, the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 allows vehicle passengers to anticipate the change of the vehicle behavior even though the vehicle passengers may watch, for example, TV pictures, resulting from the fact that the control means 6 interrupts the TV picture and have the video display means display a video showing the front of the vehicle in a full screen or in a split screen within the TV picture of the video display means.
Further, the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 allows vehicle passengers to anticipate the level of the vehicle behavior and prepare for the vehicle behavior, resulting from the fact that the control means 6 controls a display position, a moving direction, a moving speed, a size, a transparency level, and/or change of the transparency level of the split screen, in accordance with the behavior of the vehicle detected by the behavior detecting means 4.
Further, the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 allows vehicle passengers to visually recognize that the vehicle turns left or right correctly whenever the vehicle turns left or right even though the vehicle passengers sit in rear-facing seats and the screen of the video display means 8 is facing toward the traveling direction of the vehicle, viz., the display screen of the video display means 8 is facing toward a direction opposite to the rear of the vehicle, resulting from the fact that the control means 4 changes the moving direction of the split screen in keeping with viewing fields of the vehicle passengers.
Further, the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10 allows vehicle passengers to change a display mode of the video display means 8 by setting the video display means 8 to have the video display means 8 display a split screen or not, and arbitrarily decide a display position, a moving speed, a moving direction, a size, a transparency level, and/or change of the transparency level of the split screen, resulting from the fact that the notification apparatus 10 comprises setting means 7 for allowing vehicle passengers to set the video display means to have the display mode changed.
While it has been described in the above that in the present embodiment of the notification apparatus 10, the behavior detecting means 4 divides the detected acceleration or deceleration, right turn or left turn run of the vehicle into a plurality of levels, and determine the corresponding level of acceleration or deceleration, right turn or left turn run, this does not limit the present invention. According to the present invention, the notification apparatus may detect only whether the vehicle is accelerating or not, decelerating or not, turning left or not, and turning right or not.
As will be seen from the foregoing description, the notification apparatus according to the present invention has effects of enhance riding comfort of vehicle passengers even though the vehicle passengers may watch, for example, a television apparatus, and is available as a motion sickness prevention apparatus for prevent the vehicle passengers from suffering motion sickness.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-208543 | Jul 2004 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP05/12743 | 7/11/2005 | WO | 1/10/2007 |
