Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

A vehicle control method used in a first vehicle and executed by at least one processor, the first vehicle being configured to execute automated driving without a monitoring obligation of a driver, the method comprising:

• acquiring display information and position specifying information which are received from a second vehicle different from the first vehicle via inter-vehicle communications, the display information being information for display and independently set for the second vehicle in the second vehicle, the position specifying information being information for specifying a position of the second vehicle;
• specifying the position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle based on the position specifying information;
• and
• controlling display on a display device configured to display an image to be superimposed on a landscape in front of the first vehicle, wherein
• the acquiring includes acquiring the display information including information for displaying a pseudo image that has been set in the second vehicle and virtually representing the second vehicle or an occupant of the second vehicle,
• the controlling includes superimposing the pseudo image on the position of the second vehicle in the landscape in front of the first vehicle based on the position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle and the display information while the first vehicle is executing the automated driving without the monitoring obligation and an online game is being played in the first vehicle with the second vehicle as a partner via the inter-vehicle communications,
• the specifying includes sequentially specifying the position of the second vehicle by using a periphery monitoring sensor while the pseudo image is displayed,
• the controlling includes continuously displaying the pseudo image to be superimposed on the position of the second vehicle by sequentially tracking the position of the second vehicle based on the sequentially specified position of the second vehicle,
• the acquiring includes determining whether information for displaying text representing a message has been received from the second vehicle in response to the superimposition of the pseudo image, and
• the controlling includes displaying the text in a display mode in which the pseudo image utters a content of the message of the text based on determining that the information for displaying the text has been received.

A vehicle control device configured to be used in a first vehicle configured to execute automated driving without a monitoring obligation of a driver, the vehicle control device comprising a processor configured to:

• acquire display information and position specifying information which are received from a second vehicle different from the first vehicle via inter-vehicle communications, the display information being information for display and independently set for the second vehicle in the second vehicle, the position specifying information being information for specifying a position of the second vehicle;
• specify the position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle based on the position specifying information;
• and
• control display on a display device configured to display an image to be superimposed on a landscape in front of the first vehicle, wherein
• the processor is configured to acquire the display information including information for displaying a pseudo image that has been set in the second vehicle and virtually representing the second vehicle or an occupant of the second vehicle,
• the processor is configured to superimpose the pseudo image on the position of the second vehicle in the landscape in front of the first vehicle based on the position of the second vehicle relative to the first vehicle and the display information when the first vehicle is executing the automated driving without the monitoring obligation and an online game is being played in the first vehicle with the second vehicle as a partner via the inter-vehicle communications,
• the processor is configured to sequentially specify the position of the second vehicle by using a periphery monitoring sensor while the pseudo image is displayed,
• the processor is configured to continuously display the pseudo image to be superimposed on the position of the second vehicle by sequentially tracking the position of the second vehicle based on the sequentially specified position of the second vehicle,
• the processor is configured to determine whether information for displaying text representing a message has been received from the second vehicle in response to the superimposition of the pseudo image, and
• the processor is configured to display the text in a display mode in which the pseudo image utters a content of the message of the text when determining that the information for displaying the text has been received.