Display control device and method for displaying instructions to vehicle occupants

A display control method comprising:

• receiving proposal information relating to a proposal that requests an instruction from a vehicle occupant of a vehicle;
• receiving an operation signal, which is outputted in accordance with an operation of the vehicle occupant;
• and
• displaying, on a display device, proposal information as an image that includes a proposal image relating to the proposal, and prohibiting reflection of the operation signal in the instruction during a predetermined time period from a start of the display of the proposal image,
• wherein:
• the proposal image includes a first image that is an image showing contents of the proposal, a second image that is an image of a plurality of items representing a definitive setting operation to the vehicle that can be selected, and a third image that is an image overlaying at least a part of the second image and indicating a selection of one of the plurality of items of the second image based on a selection operation from the vehicle occupant with respect to the proposal, wherein the selection operation is a precursor to the definitive setting operation and does not execute the definitive setting operation represented by the plurality of items, and wherein the third image indicates only one of the plurality of items and is displayed in a condition indicating a refusal of a selection of the definitive setting operation,
• in a case of receiving an operation via a user input executing the definitive setting operation, the method further comprises executing a control of the vehicle corresponding to the one of the plurality of items of the second image selected by the selection operation, and
• in a case of receiving the proposal information, the method further comprises causing the first image to be displayed, while delaying display of the second image and the third image until after the predetermined period of time passes,
• the operation signal is received via an operation device at a steering wheel,
• the selection operation is an operation detected based on a detection result by an electrostatic capacitance sensor disposed at the steering wheel,
• the definitive setting operation is an operation detected based on a detection result by a push switch disposed at the steering wheel,
• the proposal image is an image that presents proposal information from a first electronic control unit (ECU) that controls operations of the vehicle, and a control of the vehicle is executed by at least a second ECU that is different from the first ECU, from which the proposal information is sent, in a case in which the selection operation or the definitive setting operation is executed during a time period when the proposal image is not displayed,
• the display of the proposal image is maintained irrespective of a time from the start of the display of the proposal image,
• the display device includes a first display portion that can be seen by the vehicle occupant, and a second display portion that is displayed above the first display portion and on a sightline of the vehicle occupant, and displaying the first image only on the first display portion while delaying display of the second image, and
• the method further comprises displaying the first image concurrently with the second image on both the first display portion and the second display portion concurrently after the predetermined period of time passes.

A non-transitory storage medium storing a program executable by a computer to perform processing, the processing comprising:

• receiving proposal information relating to a proposal that requests an instruction from a vehicle occupant of a vehicle;
• receiving an operation signal, which is outputted in accordance with an operation of the vehicle occupant;
• and
• displaying, on a display device, proposal information received as an image that includes a proposal image relating to the proposal, and prohibiting reflection of the operation signal in the instruction during a predetermined time period from a start of the display of the proposal image,
• wherein:
• the proposal image includes a first image that is an image showing contents of the proposal, a second image that is an image of a plurality of items representing a definitive setting operation to the vehicle that can be selected, and a third image that is an image overlaying at least a part of the second image and indicating a selection of one of the plurality of items of the second image based on a selection operation from the vehicle occupant with respect to the proposal, wherein the selection operation is a precursor to the definitive setting operation and does not execute the definitive setting operation represented by the plurality of items, and wherein the third image indicates only one of the plurality of items and is displayed in a condition indicating a refusal of a selection of the definitive setting operation,
• in a case of receiving an operation via a user input executing the definitive setting operation, the processing further comprises executing a control of the vehicle corresponding to the one of the plurality of items of the second image selected by the selection operation, and
• in a case of receiving the proposal information, the processing further comprises causing the first image to be displayed, while delaying display of the second image and the third image until after the predetermined period of time passes,
• the operation signal is received via an operation device at a steering wheel,
• the selection operation is an operation detected based on a detection result by an electrostatic capacitance sensor disposed at the steering wheel,
• the definitive setting operation is an operation detected based on a detection result by a push switch disposed at the steering wheel,
• the proposal image is an image that presents proposal information from a first electronic control unit (ECU) that controls operations of the vehicle, and a control of the vehicle is executed by at least a second ECU that is different from the first ECU, from which the proposal information is sent, in a case in which the selection operation or the definitive setting operation is executed during a time period when the proposal image is not displayed,
• the display of the proposal image is maintained irrespective of a time from the start of the display of the proposal image,
• the display device includes a first display portion that can be seen by the vehicle occupant, and a second display portion that is displayed above the first display portion and on a sightline of the vehicle occupant, and displaying the first image only on the first display portion while delaying display of the second image, and
• the processing further comprises displaying the first image concurrently with the second image on both the first display portion and the second display portion concurrently after the predetermined period of time passes.