JP2006273002A - Monitoring device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a monitoring device allowing a driver to visually recognizing the surrounding image with a little shift of the eyes even when a vehicle turns to the right or left or changes lanes. <P>SOLUTION: The monitoring device is equipped with a peripheral image pickup means 1 picking up the image at least the right and left sides of the vehicle A, a left side display part provided at the left end side of the front of a cabin, and a right side display part provided at the right end side of the front of the cabin. The monitoring device is equipped with a display means 6 which displays the peripheral image obtained by the peripheral image pickup means on the right or the left display part, operation means (an operation switch, a direction indicator, and a visual line detection means) 2, 3, 4 for performing selection of the peripheral image, and a control means 5 which displays a left side image 10 showing the left side of the vehicle A as the peripheral image on the left side display part of the display means 6, or displays a right side image 11 showing the right side of the vehicle A as the peripheral image on the right display part of the display means 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle monitoring apparatus provided with display means for displaying a peripheral image obtained by imaging the periphery of a vehicle.

  Conventionally, various vehicle monitoring devices including an imaging camera (peripheral imaging means) for imaging the periphery of a vehicle have been proposed, and for example, disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this vehicle monitoring apparatus, the imaging camera is arranged in a housing of a door mirror, the side of the vehicle is imaged by the imaging camera, and an image (peripheral image) of the vehicle side is displayed on a display panel (display) in the vehicle interior. Means). In addition, it is possible to display the image of the back or front of the vehicle as the surrounding image of the vehicle. According to such a vehicle monitoring apparatus, the driver can monitor the display panel for an obstacle or the like in an area that cannot be seen from the driver's seat during driving of the vehicle.

Further, in such a vehicle monitoring device, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses that an image captured by a side camera attached to the left side of a vehicle body is divided into three screens of a display (display means) in the horizontal direction. An image taken by a rear camera attached to the rear part of the vehicle body is displayed on the left side of the display screen, and an image taken by a side camera attached to the right side of the vehicle body is displayed on the display unit. The point which arrange | positions and displays on each right part of the screen of this is disclosed. According to this display, the driver can recognize the situation behind the vehicle at a glance.
JP 2003-61086 A JP 2003-81014 A

  The above-described vehicle monitoring apparatus displays a plurality of peripheral images simultaneously using a single display, and the display is centered in front of the passenger compartment (for example, an instrument panel in consideration of its own visibility). It is common to be arranged in the central part of). However, the left side image showing the left side of the vehicle (including the left rear) and the right side image showing the right side of the vehicle (including the right rear) are when the vehicle turns right or left or changes lanes. However, when the driver turns the vehicle to the left or right or changes lanes, the driver is looking toward the left front or right front of the vehicle, which is the direction in which the vehicle moves, In order to visually recognize the left side image or the right side image displayed on the display device, the driver must move his / her line of sight to the center of the passenger compartment. There was room.

  In view of the above points, the present invention provides a vehicle monitoring device that displays a peripheral image obtained by imaging the periphery of a vehicle. Even when the vehicle turns right or left or changes lanes, the driver can move the line of sight with less gaze movement. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle monitoring apparatus that can visually recognize an image.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a vehicle monitoring apparatus according to the present invention includes peripheral imaging means for imaging at least the left and right sides of a vehicle, a left display portion provided on the left end side in front of the passenger compartment, and a right end in front of the passenger compartment. A right side display unit provided on the side, a display unit for displaying a peripheral image obtained by the peripheral imaging unit on the left side and right side display units, an operation unit for selecting the peripheral image, and the operation unit In response to the operation signal, a left side image indicating the left side of the vehicle is displayed as the peripheral image on the left display unit of the display unit, or the peripheral image is displayed on the right display unit of the display unit as the peripheral image. And a control means for displaying a right side image showing the right side of the vehicle.

  Further, the operation means is composed of a direction indicator of the vehicle, and the control means inputs the left side image on the left display portion of the display means when a left direction instruction signal is inputted as the operation signal from the direction indicator. When the right direction instruction signal is input as the operation signal from the direction indicator, the right side image is displayed on the right side display portion of the display means.

  In addition, the operation unit includes a gaze detection unit that detects a driver's gaze direction, and the control unit inputs a detection signal indicating the driver's gaze direction as the operation signal from the gaze detection unit, and the detection When it is determined from the signal that the driver is looking at the left side in front of the vehicle, the left side image is displayed on the left side display unit of the display means, and the driver is in front of the vehicle from the detection signal. When it is determined that the user is looking at the right side, the right side image is displayed on the right side display unit of the display unit.

  In addition, the control unit displays the left side image on the left display unit when an object approaching from the left side of the vehicle is imaged by the peripheral imaging unit, and the right side of the vehicle is displayed by the peripheral imaging unit. When the object approaching from the side is imaged, the right side image is displayed on the right side display unit.

  In addition, the display means includes a display that emits display light, and a reflection means that reflects the display light toward a user.

  Further, the reflecting means is made of the windshield of the vehicle or formed on the windshield of the vehicle.

  The present invention relates to a vehicle monitoring apparatus including a display unit that displays a peripheral image obtained by capturing an image of the periphery of the vehicle, and the peripheral image can be moved with a small number of drivers even when the vehicle turns left or right or changes lanes. Can be visually recognized.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle monitoring apparatus includes a peripheral imaging unit 1, an operation switch (operation unit) 2, a direction indicator (operation unit) 3, a line-of-sight detection unit (operation unit) 4, and a control unit. 5 and the display means 6.

  For example, a high-angle-of-view camera provided in each of the exterior parts such as the left and right side mirrors of the vehicle A is applied to the peripheral imaging unit 1, and as shown in FIG. The scenery of the left side (including left rear) region B of the vehicle A including the part and the right side (including right rear) region C of the vehicle A can be captured. Further, the peripheral imaging unit 1 outputs peripheral information (image information) obtained by the above-described imaging to the control unit 5.

  The operation switch 2 is for switching the display content of the display means 6 by an operation by the driver, and outputs the operation content to the control means 5 as an operation signal.

  The direction indicator 3 has left and right turn signals provided at the front end portion and the rear end portion of the vehicle A, a drive circuit for blinking and driving each turn signal, and a lever switch for operating the direction indicator 3. In order to switch the display contents of the display means 6, a left or right instruction signal corresponding to the left or right instruction operation of the lever switch is output to the control means 5 as an operation signal.

  The line-of-sight detection means 4 detects the direction of the line of sight of the driver sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle A, and includes, for example, a stereo camera 4a and an image analysis circuit. As shown in FIG. 3, the stereo camera 4a is composed of, for example, two cameras provided on the top of the instrument panel P located in front of the driver's seat. The stereo camera 4a has known internal parameters and relative positional relationships, and captures a driver's face image including eyes that are the same detection target in synchronization with each other, and outputs the image to the image analysis circuit. The image analysis circuit can detect a moving state of the line of sight (eyeball) using a predetermined algorithm based on the face image and calculate a line-of-sight direction. The image analysis circuit calculates, for example, the three-dimensional coordinates of the characteristic part of the driver's eyes based on the imaging of the stereo camera 4a, and the black eye center coordinates calculated separately from the eyeball center coordinates calculated from the coordinates. The line-of-sight direction is calculated with the line passing through the line of sight as the line of sight, and line-of-sight data (detection signal) including this line-of-sight direction is output to the control means 5 as an operation signal.

  The control means 5 includes an image processing circuit, a control circuit, and a display drive circuit. The image processing circuit is configured to input the peripheral information obtained by imaging by the peripheral imaging unit 1 and generate a left side image and a right side image, which will be described later, as peripheral images to be displayed on the display unit 6. The control circuit is composed of a microcomputer and includes a ROM, a RAM, a CPU, and an input / output interface circuit, and operates the left side image or the right side image generated by the image processing circuit. The display means 6 is selectively displayed in response to the input of an operation signal from the operation switch 2, the direction indicator 3 or the line-of-sight detection means 4. The display drive circuit is a drive control circuit for causing the display means 6 to perform a predetermined display based on a control signal from the control circuit.

  The display means 6 includes a left side display 6a and a right side display 6b which are disposed in the dashboard D of the vehicle A and are made of a TFT type liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL panel. This is a so-called head-up display device that reflects the display light 6b toward the driver by the windshield (reflecting means) W to display a virtual image. In addition, the display means 6 may form a combiner layer in the windshield W as a reflection means. The display light of the left indicator 6a is reflected by the left reflecting portion W1 positioned on the left end side when viewed from the driver seat side of the windshield W, and the display light of the right indicator 6b is reflected on the driver seat side of the windshield W. Is reflected by the right reflecting portion W2 located on the right end side when viewed from the side. That is, the display means 6 comprises the left display part which displays the left side image 10 shown in FIG. 4 by the left side indicator 6a and the left side reflection part W1, and the left side image 10 is on the left end side in front of the passenger compartment. A virtual image is displayed. Moreover, the display means 6 comprises the right side display part which displays the right side image 11 shown in FIG. 5 by the right side indicator 6b and the right side reflection part W2, and the right side image 11 is on the right end side ahead of the passenger compartment. A virtual image is displayed. The left side image 10 displayed by the left side display 6a shows a landscape on the left side of the vehicle A based on the peripheral information obtained by the peripheral imaging means 1, as shown in FIG. The left side image 10 includes images of the road surface on the left side and the left rear side of the vehicle A including the vehicle image 10a obtained by imaging the vehicle A. The left display 6a displays the left side image 10 with a distance line 10b indicating the distance from the vehicle A superimposed thereon. The right side image 11 displayed by the right side display 6b shows a landscape on the right side of the vehicle A based on the peripheral information obtained by the peripheral imaging means 1, as shown in FIG. The right side image 11 includes images of the road surface on the right side and the right rear side of the vehicle A including the vehicle image 11a obtained by imaging the vehicle A. Further, the right side display 6a displays the right side image 11 with a distance line 11b indicating the distance from the vehicle A superimposed thereon. The control means 5 renders the peripheral information obtained by the peripheral imaging means 1 while correcting the brightness, contrast, etc. that are easily visible to the driver, so that the left side image 10 and the right side image are displayed on the display means 6. An image 11 is generated and output to the display means 6. By displaying the left side image 10 and the right side image 11, the driver of the vehicle A monitors the situation of the left side region B and the right side region C of the vehicle A that becomes a blind spot when the vehicle A turns right or left or changes lanes. be able to.

  Next, display selection of the left side image 10 and the right side image 11 by the control means 5 will be described.

  The control means 5 performs display selection of the left side image 10 or the right side image 11 by a predetermined operation of the operation switch 2. That is, when an operation signal indicating display selection of the left side image 10 is input from the operation switch 2, the control unit 5 outputs a drive signal to the left side display 6 a and causes the left side display 6 a to display the left side image 10. Further, when an operation signal indicating display selection of the right side image 11 is input from the operation switch 2, the control unit 5 outputs a drive signal to the right side display 6b and displays the right side image 11 on the right side display 6b. Let Note that the left side image 10 and the right side image 11 may be displayed simultaneously by a predetermined operation of the operation switch 2.

  Further, the control means 5 performs display selection of the left side image 10 or the right side image 11 in accordance with the left or right instruction operation of the lever switch of the direction indicator 3. That is, when the left direction signal is input from the direction indicator 3, the control unit 5 outputs a drive signal to the left side display 6a and causes the left side display 6a to display the left side image 10. At this time, the right display 6b is not displayed. Further, when the control unit 5 receives the right direction signal from the direction indicator 3, the control unit 5 outputs a drive signal to the right side display 6b, and displays the right side image 11 on the right side display 6b. At this time, the left display 6a is not displayed.

  Further, the control means 5 performs display selection of the left side image 10 or the right side image 11 according to the line-of-sight direction of the driver of the vehicle A. That is, when the control unit 5 inputs the line-of-sight data from the line-of-sight detection unit 4, the driver's line of sight is based on the line-of-sight data in the left side area in front of the vehicle A, the central area in front of the vehicle A, and the right side area in front of the vehicle A. It is determined to which one of the For example, as the central region, when the vehicle A is traveling straight in the windshield W, a region in which the driver turns his / her line of sight to view the road ahead is set, and as the left region and the right region, The left and right areas are set as viewed from the driver's seat side than the central area. When it is determined that the driver's line of sight is directed to the central area based on the line-of-sight data, the control unit 5 hides the left side display 6a and the right side display 6b. Further, when it is determined that the driver's line of sight is directed to the left area for a predetermined time or more based on the line-of-sight data, the control means 5 outputs a drive signal to the left display 6a, and the left display The left side image 10 is displayed on 6a. At this time, the right display 6b is not displayed. In addition, when it is determined that the driver's line of sight is directed to the right region for a predetermined time or more based on the line-of-sight data, the control unit 5 outputs a drive signal to the right side display 6b, and the right side display The right side image 11 is displayed on 6b. At this time, the left display 6a is not displayed.

  Further, the control means 5 is configured to capture the left side image 10 or the right side image when an object (such as another vehicle or a pedestrian) approaching the vehicle A is imaged based on the peripheral information obtained by the peripheral imaging means 1. The image 11 is displayed. For example, the control unit 5 compares the left side image 10 and the right side image 11 generated in the past with the newly generated left side image 10 and the right side image 11, and selects the object included in the latest image. When the area to be shown is enlarged by a predetermined value or more compared with the area showing the same object included in the past image, it is determined that the object is approaching the vehicle A. When the object is included in the left side image 10, that is, when the object approaching from the left side of the vehicle A is imaged by the peripheral imaging unit 1, the control unit 5 sends a drive signal to the left display 6a. The left side image 10 is displayed on the left side display 6a. Further, the control means 5 is driven to the right display 6b when the object is included in the right side image 11, that is, when the object approaching from the right side of the vehicle A is imaged by the peripheral imaging means 1. A signal is output and the right side image 11 is displayed on the right side display 6b. When the left side image 10 or the right side image 11 is displayed in response to the approach of the object, a red frame mark surrounding the left side image 10 or the right side image 11 is flashed and displayed. It is desirable to display a warning to notify the approach of the object. Further, an audio output means such as a speaker may be provided, and a warning sound may be output along with the display of the left side image 10 or the right side image 11 to notify the driver of the approach of the object.

  The vehicle monitoring apparatus includes a peripheral imaging unit 1 that captures at least the left and right sides of the vehicle A, the left display portion provided on the left end side in front of the vehicle compartment, and the right side provided on the right end side in front of the vehicle compartment. A display unit 6 that includes a display unit and displays the peripheral image obtained by the peripheral imaging unit on the left and right display units 6a and 6b; In response to the operation signal from the indicator 3 and the line-of-sight detection means 4 and the operation means, a left side image 10 indicating the left side of the vehicle A is displayed on the left display portion of the display means 6 as the peripheral image. Or the control means 5 which displays the right side image 11 which shows the right side of the vehicle A as the said peripheral image on the said right side display part of the display means 6 is provided. The display means 6 includes left and right indicators 6a and 6b that emit display light, and a windshield W that reflects the display light toward the driver, and the left indicator 6a and the left side of the windshield W. The left display unit is constituted by the reflection part W1, and the right display part is constituted by the right side display 6b and the right reflection part W2 of the windshield.

  Therefore, even when the driver's line of sight is directed to the left side or the right side ahead of the vehicle A when the vehicle A turns right or left or changes the course, the left side image that is a peripheral image showing the blind spot in the moving direction of the vehicle A 10 and the right side image 11 are respectively displayed on the left end side and the right end side in front of the passenger compartment, so that the driver visually recognizes the surrounding image showing the blind spot in the moving direction of the vehicle A with a small line of sight movement. Is possible.

  Further, when the operation means includes the direction indicator 3 of the vehicle A and the control means 5 inputs the left instruction signal as the operation signal, 3 from the direction indicator, the left side image 6a of the display means 6 is displayed on the left side image 6a. 10 is displayed, and when the right direction instruction signal is input from the direction indicator 3 as the operation signal, the right side image 11 is displayed on the right side display 6b of the display means 6, so that the vehicle can be operated without any special operation. When A turns right or left or changes course, the surrounding image showing the blind spot in the moving direction of the vehicle A can be displayed.

  In addition, the operation unit includes a line-of-sight detection unit 4 that detects a driver's line-of-sight direction, and the control unit 5 inputs the line-of-sight data indicating the driver's line-of-sight direction as the operation signal from the line-of-sight detection unit 4. When it is determined from the line-of-sight data that the driver is looking at the left side in front of the vehicle A, the left side image 10a is displayed on the left side display 6a of the display means 6, and the driver displays the right side in front of the vehicle A from the line-of-sight data. When the vehicle A turns right or left or changes its course without performing any special operation, the right side image 11 is displayed on the right side display 6b of the display means 6. It is possible to display the peripheral image indicating the blind spot in the moving direction of A.

  Further, when the peripheral imaging means 1 captures the object approaching from the left side of the vehicle A by the control means 5, the left side image 10 is displayed on the left display 6a, and the peripheral imaging means 1 displays the vehicle A of the vehicle A. When the target object approaching from the right side is imaged, the right side image 6b is displayed on the right side display 6b, whereby the driver can be notified of the target object approaching from the blind spot direction of the vehicle A. The merchantability as a vehicle monitoring device can be improved.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment of the present invention, and the configuration may be any as long as the same effect can be obtained. In the embodiment of the present invention, the display means 6 includes at least left and right side indicators 6a and 6b that emit display light, and a windshield W that is reflection means that projects the display light as a virtual image toward the driver. Although an example using a head-up display device provided as an example has been described, a display unit including a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL panel may be applied as a display unit.

1 is a block diagram of a vehicle monitoring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the imaging range of the monitoring apparatus for vehicles same as the above. The figure which shows the vehicle interior front of the vehicle provided with the monitoring apparatus for vehicles same as the above. The figure which shows the example of a display of the monitoring apparatus for vehicles same as the above. The figure which shows the example of a display of the monitoring apparatus for vehicles same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

1 Peripheral imaging means 2 Operation switch (operating means)
3. Direction indicator (operation means)
4 Line-of-sight detection means (operation means)
5 Control means 6 Display means 6a Left side display 6b Right side display 10 Left side image 10a Vehicle image 10b Distance line 11 Right side image 11a Vehicle image 11b Distance line A Vehicle B Left side area C Right side area W Windshield (reflection means )
W1 Left reflective part W2 Right reflective part

Claims (6)

Peripheral imaging means for imaging at least the left and right sides of the vehicle;
Display means for displaying a peripheral image obtained by the peripheral imaging means on the left and right display parts, comprising a left display part provided on the left end side in front of the passenger compartment and a right display part provided on the right end side in front of the passenger compartment. When,
Operating means for selecting the peripheral image;
In response to an operation signal from the operation means, a left side image showing the left side of the vehicle is displayed as the peripheral image on the left display portion of the display means, or the right display portion of the display means is And a control means for displaying a right side image showing the right side of the vehicle as a peripheral image. The operation means comprises a direction indicator of the vehicle, and the control means causes the left side display portion of the display means to display the left side image when a left direction instruction signal is input as the operation signal from the direction indicator. 2. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the right direction instruction signal is inputted as the operation signal from the direction indicator, the right side image is displayed on the right side display portion of the display means. . The operation unit includes a gaze detection unit that detects a gaze direction of the driver, and the control unit inputs a detection signal indicating the gaze direction of the driver as the operation signal from the gaze detection unit, and from the detection signal When it is determined that the driver is looking at the left side in front of the vehicle, the left side image is displayed on the left side display portion of the display means, and the driver shows the right side in front of the vehicle from the detection signal. The vehicle monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the image is viewed, the right side image is displayed on the right side display unit of the display unit. The control means displays the left side image on the left display unit when an object approaching from the left side of the vehicle is imaged by the peripheral imaging means, and the peripheral imaging means displays the left side image from the right side of the vehicle. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the right side image is displayed on the right side display unit when an approaching object is imaged. 2. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display means includes a display that emits display light, and reflection means that reflects the display light toward a driver. 6. The vehicle monitoring device according to claim 5, wherein the reflecting means is made of a windshield of the vehicle or formed on the windshield of the vehicle.

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