JP2006318677A - Irradiation equipment and night vision equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an irradiation equipment and night vision equipment for improved recognizing ability of an object, visually and by way of an image. <P>SOLUTION: A night vision equipment 1 for night vision using infrared light comprises a plurality of light sources 20 for emitting visible light and infrared light which radiate visible light and infrared light emitted in the light distribution characteristics different from other light sources, a photographing means 4 which receives the infrared light that is reflected among the infrared light radiated from the light source 20 and photographs using the infrared light that is received, and an output control means 6 for controlling the outputs of visible light and infrared light from the plurality of light sources 20, respectively. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an irradiation apparatus and a night vision apparatus that improve the cognition of an object to be recognized in the dark.

Various night vision devices, irradiation devices, and the like have been developed in order to improve the cognition of the surrounding situation by the driver in the dark such as at night. The night vision apparatus irradiates near-infrared light emitted from a light source such as a halogen lamp in front of the vehicle, and displays a night vision image obtained by photographing the reflected light with a night vision camera on a monitor. Furthermore, in order to improve the cognition in the image of the night vision image, the object is detected by a distance detection means such as an ultrasonic sensor, and the detected object area is displayed brighter than the other areas on the image. Some are highlighted (see Patent Document 1). In addition, there is an irradiation apparatus that detects an object (pedestrian or the like) to be recognized using a photographing unit or the like, and increases the light distribution in the direction of the object detected in the irradiation with the headlight (see Patent Document 2). ).
JP 2001-63500 A JP 2001-91618 A

  When highlighting on the above-described image, the recognition of the object on the image is improved, but the visual recognition of the driver is not improved. Furthermore, since the object is detected by the distance detection means, the detected object may not be a target to be recognized such as a pedestrian. On the other hand, in the case of the above-described irradiation device, the driver's visual perception is improved, but the target's recognition on the image is not improved. Furthermore, in this irradiation apparatus, the detected object periphery becomes bright overall, and a spot cannot be applied only to the object to be recognized. In driving in dark cases such as at night, not only visual perception that can be confirmed with eyes, but also perception by night vision images that can provide a detailed situation even in the dark.

  Then, this invention makes it a subject to provide the irradiation apparatus and night vision apparatus which can improve the cognitive property with respect to the object which should be recognized by visual observation and an image.

  An irradiation apparatus according to the present invention emits visible light and infrared light, and emits visible light and infrared light emitted with different light distribution characteristics from other light sources. Output control means for controlling the output of light and the output of infrared light, respectively.

  This irradiation device includes a plurality of light sources, and each light source irradiates visible light and infrared light with the same light distribution. Each light source has a light distribution characteristic different from that of other light sources, and can irradiate visible light and infrared light in different directions. Therefore, by irradiating only from a certain light source among a plurality of light sources, visible light or infrared light can be irradiated only in a certain direction, and visible light or infrared light can be applied only to a specific target. Furthermore, the irradiation apparatus can individually control the output of visible light and the output of infrared light from each light source by the output control means. Therefore, each light source can be irradiated with only one of visible light and infrared light. Moreover, since a relative difference can be given to the output of visible light and the output of infrared light between different light sources, high output light can be applied only to a specific target. Therefore, in this irradiation apparatus, when a target to be recognized can be detected, visible light can be applied only to the target to be recognized, so that visual recognition can be improved. In addition, by applying this irradiation device as the irradiation means of the night vision device, when an object to be recognized can be detected, an infrared light output is output to the object to be recognized compared to other regions. Infrared light can be applied only to the object to be relatively raised or to be recognized. As a result, the object to be recognized on the night vision image becomes brighter than the others and can be highlighted and the recognition by the image can be improved. Thus, in this irradiation apparatus, the cognitive ability with respect to the object which should be recognized by visual observation and an image can be improved.

  The night-vision device according to the present invention is a night-vision device that performs night-vision with infrared light, and emits visible light and infrared light, and emits visible light and infrared light with different light distribution characteristics from other light sources. A plurality of light sources for irradiating light, imaging means for receiving infrared light reflected from infrared light emitted from the light source, and photographing with the received infrared light; and output of visible light from each of the plurality of light sources; Output control means for controlling the output of each infrared light.

  This night vision device has a plurality of light sources, and each light source emits visible light and infrared light with the same light distribution, and different light sources emit visible light and infrared light in different directions, respectively. Can do. Infrared light emitted from these light sources is used for night-vision photography, and in the night-vision device, photographing is performed by reflected infrared light among the irradiated infrared light by the photographing means. In the night vision apparatus, the output control means can individually control the output of visible light and the output of infrared light from each light source. Therefore, in the night-vision device, when a target to be recognized can be detected, visible light can be applied only to the target to be recognized, so that the visual recognition can be improved. Also, in the night vision device, when the object to be recognized can be detected, the infrared light output is increased relative to the object to be recognized or the object to be recognized compared to other areas. Infrared light can only be applied to. As a result, the object to be recognized on the night vision image becomes brighter than the others and can be highlighted and the recognition by the image can be improved. Thus, in this night-vision device, it is possible to improve the recognition of the object to be recognized by visual observation and images.

  In the irradiation apparatus and the night vision apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the light source includes a semiconductor light emitting element that emits visible light and a semiconductor light emitting element that emits infrared light.

  By configuring each light source using a semiconductor light emitting element that emits visible light and a semiconductor light emitting element that emits infrared light, a light source can be configured in a compact manner, and power consumption can be reduced.

  In the irradiation apparatus and the night vision apparatus according to the present invention, a detection unit that detects a target object is provided, and when the detection unit detects the target object, the output control unit displays the detected target object among a plurality of light sources. High power control of infrared light from a light source with a light distribution characteristic that can be irradiated and low output control of infrared light from a light source with a light distribution characteristic that cannot irradiate the detected target object and / or the detection among a plurality of light sources It is also possible to control the output of visible light from a light source having a light distribution characteristic that can irradiate the target object.

  Each device detects an object to be recognized by the detection means. And in each apparatus, when the object which should be recognized by the detection means can be detected, the output control means performs high output control of the infrared light of the light source having the light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating the detected object among the plurality of light sources. At the same time, the infrared light of the light source having the light distribution characteristic that cannot irradiate the detected object is controlled at a low output. By controlling each light source in this manner, the object to be recognized is irradiated with infrared light having a relatively higher output than the other objects, so that the object to be recognized on the night vision image is highlighted. Further, in each device, when a target to be recognized by the detection unit can be detected, the output control unit outputs and controls the visible light of the light distribution characteristic that can irradiate the target detected among the plurality of light sources. By controlling each light source in this way, it is possible to apply spot light with visible light only to the object to be recognized. Thus, in each of these devices, it is possible to improve the recognition of the object to be recognized by visual observation and images.

  In the irradiation apparatus and the night vision apparatus of the present invention, the output control means controls the output of the infrared light of all the light sources and detects the plurality of light sources when the detection means does not detect the target object. If the detection means detects the target object and stops the visible light output of all the light sources, the infrared light of the light distribution characteristic that can irradiate the detected target object among multiple light sources is increased. Control the output and control the output of the infrared light of the light distribution characteristic that cannot irradiate the detected target object, and then control the visible light of the light distribution characteristic that can irradiate the detected target object among multiple light sources. It is preferable to control the output.

  In each apparatus, when the object to be recognized cannot be detected by the detection means, the output control means controls the output of the infrared light of all the light sources of the plurality of light sources and outputs the visible light of all the light sources of the plurality of light sources. Control stop. By controlling each light source in this manner, a bright night vision image is obtained as a whole image, and there is no direct visual field assistance by visible light. When the object to be recognized by the detection means can be detected, each apparatus first performs high output control of the infrared light of the light source having a light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating the object detected in the plurality of light sources by the output control means. Low power control of infrared light from a light source with a light distribution characteristic that cannot irradiate the detected object. By controlling each light source in this way, first, the object to be recognized on the night vision image is highlighted, and the position of the object to be recognized and the surrounding situation can be confirmed on the image. After that, in each apparatus, the output control means controls the output of the visible light of the light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating the target detected in the plurality of light sources. By controlling each light source in this way, a spot hits the object to be recognized with visible light, and direct visual field can be assisted. By controlling in this way, it becomes control along the ergonomics at the time of recognizing a target, and the cognitive property of the target which should be recognized further improves.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the cognitive property with respect to the object which should be recognized by visual observation and an image can be improved.

  Embodiments of an irradiation apparatus and a night vision apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a near-infrared night vision apparatus mounted on a vehicle. The near-infrared night-vision device according to the present embodiment is a multi-light source irradiation device that irradiates near-infrared light (near-infrared light) and visible light from a number of light sources in front of the vehicle, and near-infrared light that is captured by the reflected near-infrared light It has a night vision camera. In particular, in the near-infrared night-vision device according to the present embodiment, in order to improve the recognition of the object (pedestrian) to be recognized, the near-infrared and visible light output of each light source having different light distribution characteristics is used. Control individually.

  With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the near-infrared night vision apparatus 1 which concerns on 1st Embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a near infrared night vision apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of each light source of the multiple light source irradiation device of FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an irradiation area of each light source of the multi-light source irradiation apparatus of FIG.

  The near-infrared night-vision device 1 irradiates the front of the vehicle with near-infrared rays and provides the driver with a night-vision image captured by the near-infrared rays that hit the object and are reflected. In particular, the near-infrared night-vision device 1 emphasizes a pedestrian on a night-vision image by controlling output of near-infrared light from each light source when a pedestrian is detected in order to improve the recognition of the pedestrian in the dark. In addition to displaying, spot light is applied to the pedestrian by controlling the output of visible light in each light source. For this purpose, the near-infrared night-vision device 1 includes a multi-light source irradiation device 2, a millimeter wave sensor 3, a near-infrared night-vision camera 4, a head-up display 5, and a control device 6. A circuit 10, an obstacle detection circuit 11, an irradiation area determination circuit 12, and a multi-light source individual drive circuit 13 are configured.

  In the present embodiment, the near-infrared night-vision device 1 corresponds to the night-vision device described in the claims, the multi-light source irradiation device 2 corresponds to the irradiation device described in the claims, and the multi-light-source irradiation device 2 Each of the light sources corresponds to a plurality of light sources described in the claims, and the near-infrared chip of each light source of the multi-light source irradiation device 2 corresponds to a semiconductor light emitting element that emits infrared light described in the claims. The visible light chip of each light source of the multi-light source irradiation device 2 corresponds to a semiconductor light emitting element that emits visible light described in the claims, and the millimeter wave sensor 3 and the near infrared night vision camera 4 are claimed. The near-infrared night vision camera 4 corresponds to the photographing means described in the claims, and the control device 6 corresponds to the output control means described in the claims.

  The multi-light source irradiation device 2 is attached to the center of the front bumper, and irradiates near infrared and visible light in front of the vehicle. The multi-light source irradiation device 2 includes eight light sources 20,..., And identification numbers are assigned to the light sources 20,. As shown in FIG. 2, the light source 20 includes a light emitting diode (LED) in which a visible light chip 21 that emits visible light and a near infrared chip 22 that emits near infrared light are integrated. . Visible light emitted from the visible light chip 21 is white light. Near-infrared light emitted from the near-infrared chip 22 has a specific narrow-band spectrum in a wavelength region sensitive to the near-infrared night vision camera 4 and has a peak value in wavelength. Each light source 20 irradiates the visible light emitted from the visible light chip 21 and the near infrared light emitted from the near infrared chip 22 through the same optical system to the outside. Therefore, the visible light emitted from the visible light chip 21 and the near infrared light emitted from the near-infrared chip 22 in each light source 20 have the same light distribution characteristics and are irradiated in the same direction. .

  In the multi-light source irradiation device 2, eight light sources 20,... Are arranged in two upper and lower stages, and four are arranged in the upper and lower stages. The eight light sources 20,... Are set in different directions, and the eight light sources 20,... Are set so as to irradiate the entire front of the vehicle. FIG. 3 shows an irradiation area of each light source 20,..., And an irradiation area a1, an irradiation area a2, an irradiation area a3, and an irradiation area a4 are formed by the upper four light sources 20, 20, 20, and 20. Irradiation is performed, and irradiation areas b1, irradiation areas b2, irradiation areas b3, and irradiation areas b4 are respectively irradiated by the lower four light sources 20, 20, 20, and 20.

  Therefore, in the multi-light source irradiation device 2, by generating only the output of the visible light chip 21 of the light source having a predetermined light distribution characteristic among the eight light sources 20,. Can be exposed to visible light. Further, in the multi-light source irradiation device 2, the output of the near-infrared chip 22 of the light source having a predetermined light distribution characteristic among the eight light sources 20,. Higher near infrared rays can be applied to objects existing in the area than objects existing in other irradiation areas. By providing a relative difference in the near-infrared output in this way, on a night vision image, the brightness of the object hit by the high-power near-infrared light is increased, and the brightness of the object hit by the low-power near-infrared light is lowered. . As a result, the object with high brightness is highlighted.

  In the multi-light source irradiation device 2, the LED control signal is received from the control device 6, and the visible light output (light emission power) emitted from the visible light chip 21 of each light source 20,. The output of the near infrared ray emitted from the infrared chip 22 is individually adjusted. The LED control signal indicates the output value of visible light and the output value of near infrared rays for the eight light sources 20,.

  The millimeter wave sensor 3 is a sensor that is attached to the center of the front bumper and detects an object using millimeter waves. The millimeter wave sensor 3 transmits the millimeter wave forward from the host vehicle while scanning the millimeter wave in a horizontal plane, and receives the reflected millimeter wave. The millimeter wave sensor 3 transmits the millimeter wave transmission / reception data to the control device 6 as a millimeter wave signal.

  The near-infrared night-vision camera 4 is attached to the back side (front side of the vehicle) of the rearview mirror, and takes a picture with incident near-infrared rays. The near-infrared night vision camera 4 includes a lens unit, a band pass filter, a CCD, a signal processing circuit, and the like (not shown). The lens unit collects light such as near-infrared light and can perform zooming, automatic focus adjustment, and the like. The band pass filter has a narrow transmissive wavelength band in a wavelength region sensitive to the near infrared night vision camera 4, and the transmissive wavelength band is a near infrared wavelength band emitted from the near infrared chip 22. The bands are almost the same. The bandpass filter is disposed between the lens unit and the CCD in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the light collected by the lens unit. The CCD is arranged in the traveling direction of the light collected by the lens unit, and converts the light in the wavelength band that has passed through the bandpass filter out of the light (particularly near infrared rays) collected by the lens unit into an electrical signal. To do. The signal processing circuit performs various signal processing on the data for each pixel from the CCD, and transmits image data of the night vision video to the control device 6 as a video signal. The near-infrared night vision camera 4 receives a camera control signal from the control device 6 and performs zooming or the like according to the camera control signal.

  The head-up display 5 is a display that displays various images on a front window or the like existing in the forward visual field of the driver who is driving. The head-up display 5 receives a display signal from the control device 6 and displays a night vision image according to the display signal. The head-up display 5 may be a dedicated display for the near-infrared night vision device 1, or may be a display shared with other systems such as navigation. Further, the head-up display 5 may receive a video signal directly from the near-infrared night vision camera 4 instead of receiving a display signal from the control device 6.

  The control device 6 includes a pedestrian detection circuit 10, an obstacle detection circuit 11, an irradiation area determination circuit 12, a multiple light source individual drive circuit 13, and the like, and comprehensively controls the near infrared night vision device 1. When the near-infrared night vision device 1 is activated, the control device 6 takes in the millimeter-wave signal from the millimeter-wave sensor 3 and the video signal from the near-infrared night vision camera 4 and reflects the reflected millimeter-wave data and darkness. A pedestrian is detected based on the visual image, and output control of visible light and near-infrared light of each light source 20 of the multi-light source irradiation device 2 is performed according to the detected pedestrian. Further, in the control device 6, when a command such as zooming for a night vision image is input from the driver, the command is set in the camera control signal and the camera control signal is transmitted to the near infrared night vision camera 4.

  The pedestrian detection circuit 10 detects a pedestrian by pattern matching using a template from each frame image in the night vision image. At this time, the pedestrian detection circuit 10 acquires information (distance, direction) about each obstacle from the obstacle detection circuit 11, extracts the area where the obstacle exists from the image of each frame, and extracts each extracted area. Perform pattern matching using template. When the pedestrian detection circuit 10 detects a pedestrian, the distance and direction to the pedestrian, the size of the pedestrian, and the like are obtained, and information about the pedestrian is output to the irradiation area determination circuit 12.

  The obstacle detection circuit 11 calculates the distance to the front obstacle based on the time from the millimeter wave emission to reception based on the millimeter wave data indicated by the millimeter wave signal, and includes the reflected millimeter wave. The direction of the millimeter wave that has been reflected most strongly is detected. Then, the obstacle detection circuit 11 outputs information about each obstacle including the distance and direction to the pedestrian detection circuit 10 and the irradiation area determination circuit 12. In the obstacle detection by the millimeter wave sensor 3, since the obstacle is detected when the reflected millimeter wave can be received, one obstacle is obtained every time the reflected millimeter wave is received. The distance and direction information obtained by obstacle detection using millimeter waves is more accurate than the distance and direction information obtained by pedestrian detection using night vision images.

  In the irradiation area determination circuit 12, every time information on a pedestrian is input from the pedestrian detection circuit 10 (every time a pedestrian is detected), the distance and direction to the pedestrian using information on the obstacle ( That is, the relative position of the pedestrian with respect to the host vehicle is corrected. In other words, the irradiation area determination circuit 12 extracts, for the detected pedestrian, an obstacle existing at a position closest to the position of the pedestrian from the detected obstacles, and information on the extracted obstacles Is the distance and direction of the pedestrian.

  And the irradiation area determination circuit 12 calculates | requires the area where the pedestrian exists from the position calculated | required from the corrected distance and direction of the pedestrian, and the magnitude | size of the pedestrian. Further, the irradiation area determination circuit 12 irradiates the area where the pedestrian exists from the eight light sources 20,... By comparing the irradiation area of each light source 20,. The light source that can be used is extracted, and the identification number of the extracted light source is output to the multi-light source individual drive circuit 13. There may be one extracted light source or a plurality of light sources for each pedestrian. Further, when a plurality of pedestrians are detected at the same time, light sources that can be irradiated for each pedestrian are extracted. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a light source (light source drawn in black) 20 having a light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating a pedestrian WM is extracted.

  The irradiation area determination circuit 12 converts the night vision video from the near-infrared night vision camera 4 into an image format that can be displayed on the head-up display 5, and the converted night-vision video is displayed on the head-up display 5 as a display signal. Send. At this time, in the irradiation area determination circuit 12, when a pedestrian is detected, various processes for improving the pedestrian's cognition such as a rectangular line surrounding the pedestrian in the night vision image may be performed. .

  When the near-infrared night vision device 1 is activated, the multi-light source individual drive circuit 13 sets 0 as the output value of visible light for all light sources in the LED control signal and maximizes the output value of near-infrared light for all light sources. An output value is set, and the LED control signal is transmitted to the multiple light source irradiation device 2. In the multi-light source individual drive circuit 13, when the near-infrared night vision device 1 is stopped, the LED control signal is set to 0 as the output value of visible light for all light sources and the near-infrared output value for all light sources. Is set to 0 and the LED control signal is transmitted to the multiple light source irradiation device 2.

  In the multi-light source individual drive circuit 13, every time a light source identification number is input from the irradiation area determination circuit 12 (that is, every time a pedestrian is detected), first, the LED control signal includes visible light for all light sources. When the output value is set to 0, the maximum output value and the near infrared output value of the light source other than the identification number are set to a low output value (for example, 1 of the maximum output value). / 2 or a value of about 1/3) is set, and the LED control signal is transmitted to the multi-light source irradiation device 2. Further, after the elapse of a certain time, the multi-light source individual drive circuit 13 uses the maximum output value as the visible light output value of the light source having the identification number input to the LED control signal and the output value of the visible light from light sources other than the identification number. 0 is set, the maximum output value is set as the near infrared output value of the light source of the input identification number, and the low output value is set as the near infrared output value of the light source other than the identification number, and the LED control signal is set as the multiple light source. It transmits to the irradiation apparatus 2. The fixed time is set to a time sufficient for the driver to view the night vision image displayed on the head-up display 5. In the multi-light source individual drive circuit 13, when there is no input of the light source identification number from the irradiation area determination circuit 12 (that is, when no pedestrian is detected), the LED control signal outputs 0 as the visible light output value for all the light sources. And the maximum output value is set as the near-infrared output value for all light sources, and the LED control signal is transmitted to the multi-light source irradiation device 2.

  FIG. 4A shows a night-vision image when the near-infrared output values of all light sources are set to the maximum output value. Although it is a bright night-vision image as a whole, it is within an area surrounded by an ellipse. Since the brightness of existing pedestrians is small relative to the brightness of other objects, it is difficult to recognize pedestrians. On the other hand, FIG. 4B shows night vision when the near-infrared output value of the light source that can irradiate the pedestrian is the maximum output value and the near-infrared output value of the other light sources is the low output value. An image is shown, and the brightness of the pedestrian is high, relatively higher than the brightness of other objects, and it is easy to recognize the pedestrian. At this time, it is possible to check the situation in the vicinity where the pedestrian is present (for example, whether the pedestrian is on the sidewalk or on the roadway (crossing report etc.)), and the position of the pedestrian in front of the vehicle can be grasped. Thus, since the pedestrian is recognized in the night vision image in advance, even if a pedestrian illuminated by the spot light appears thereafter, the position is known in advance, and the line of sight can be quickly directed in that direction. And it is possible to drive while actually watching a pedestrian illuminated by the spot light.

  With reference to FIGS. 1-3, the operation | movement in the near-infrared night vision apparatus 1 is demonstrated. In particular, the control flow in the control device 6 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of control in the control device of FIG.

  The driver activates the near infrared night vision device 1. Then, the control device 6 transmits an LED control signal in which 0 is set as the output value of visible light of all light sources and the maximum output value is set as the output value of near infrared rays of all light sources to the multi-light source irradiation device 2 (S1). . Then, in the multi-light source irradiation device 2, the near-infrared chips 22 of all the light sources 20,... Emit light with the maximum output, and the near-infrared rays with the maximum output are irradiated in front of the vehicle from all the light distribution directions. The near-infrared night vision camera 4 transmits only near-infrared light in a wavelength band that can be transmitted by a band-pass filter out of light collected by the lens unit. This transmitted wavelength band is substantially the same band as the near infrared ray irradiated from the multiple light source irradiation device 2. Further, the near-infrared night vision camera 4 converts the transmitted near-infrared ray into an electrical signal by the CCD, generates a video signal for displaying a night vision video by the signal processing circuit, and controls the video signal. Transmit to device 6. In the control device 6, the acquired night-vision image is converted for a head-up display, and a display signal for the night-vision image is transmitted to the head-up display 5. The head-up display 5 displays a night vision image corresponding to the display signal. This night vision image is a bright image throughout. The millimeter wave sensor 3 transmits a millimeter wave forward and receives the reflected millimeter wave, and transmits the transmission / reception data to the control device 6 as a millimeter wave signal.

  The control device 6 receives the video signal and the millimeter wave signal, acquires the current frame image of the night vision video (S2), and acquires the millimeter wave transmission / reception data. The control device 6 performs pedestrian detection by template matching based on the image and obstacle detection based on the millimeter wave data. And in the control apparatus 6, it is determined whether a pedestrian exists in a night vision image (S3). When it determines with a pedestrian not existing in S3, the control apparatus 6 returns to S2, and acquires the image in the following flame | frame of a night vision image | video.

  When it is determined in S3 that there is a pedestrian, the control device 6 corrects the position of the pedestrian using the position (distance and direction) of the obstacle obtained by the obstacle detection, and the position information of the pedestrian. Is obtained (S4). And in the control apparatus 6, based on the position of a pedestrian and the irradiation area of the eight light sources 20, ..., the maximum output as a near infrared output value of a light source having a light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating the pedestrian The LED control signal in which the low output value is set as the value and the near infrared output value of the other light source is transmitted to the multi-light source irradiation device 2 (S5). Then, in the multi-light source irradiation device 2, the near-infrared chip 22 of the light source 20 that can irradiate the pedestrian set in the LED control signal is caused to emit light at the maximum output and the near-infrared light of the other light sources 20. The chip 22 is made to emit light at a low output, and the near infrared ray of each output is irradiated to the front of the vehicle. As a result, the area including the pedestrian is irradiated with the maximum output near infrared ray, and the other areas are irradiated with the low output near infrared ray. The near-infrared night vision camera 4 generates a video signal from the near-infrared and transmits the video signal to the control device 6 as described above. In the control device 6, the acquired night-vision image is converted for a head-up display, and a display signal for the night-vision image is transmitted to the head-up display 5. The head-up display 5 displays a night vision image corresponding to the display signal. In this night vision image, the pedestrian is bright and the rest are dark images, and the pedestrian is highlighted. By the pedestrian emphasis in the night vision image, the driver can easily recognize the pedestrian from the night vision image, and can acquire information such as the situation and position around the pedestrian.

  The pedestrian is highlighted in the night vision image, and after a certain time has elapsed, the control device 6 can arrange the pedestrian based on the position of the pedestrian and the irradiation area of the eight light sources 20. An LED control signal in which the maximum output value is set as the visible light output value of the light source having light and 0 is set as the visible light output value of the other light sources is transmitted to the multi-light source irradiation device 2 (S6). Then, in the multi-light source irradiation device 2, the visible light chip 21 of the light source 20 that can irradiate the pedestrian set in the LED control signal is caused to emit light at the maximum output and the visible light of the other light sources 20. The chip 21 for light is not emitted, and the visible light of only the emitted light source is irradiated to the front of the vehicle. Thereby, only the area including the pedestrian is irradiated with the maximum output visible light, and the pedestrian is irradiated with the spot light. With the assistance of the direct field of view by the spot light, the driver can easily recognize the pedestrian by visual observation, and drives while checking the pedestrian. While the pedestrian is detected, the highlight display by the night vision image and the spot irradiation by the visible light are continued.

  If the pedestrian passes and no longer detects the pedestrian, the control device 6 returns to S1 and sets the maximum output value to 0 as the output value of the visible light of all the light sources and the output value of the near infrared rays of all the light sources. The set LED control signal is transmitted to the multiple light source irradiation device 2 (S1). As a result, the normal night vision image and the state without spot irradiation are restored.

  According to the near-infrared night vision device 1, the relative difference between the near-infrared outputs is controlled by individually controlling the visible light and near-infrared outputs of the respective light sources 20,. It is possible to perform highlighting in a night-vision image and direct field of view assistance by visible light of a spot. Therefore, the cognitive ability with respect to a pedestrian can be improved both in a night vision image and visual observation. In particular, in the near-infrared night vision device 1, when a pedestrian is detected, control is performed so that visual assistance is performed directly after highlighting with a night vision image, so that an ergonomic control is performed for recognizing an object to be recognized. This is the optimal control for the driver to recognize the pedestrian. Further, since the near-infrared night vision device 1 uses semiconductor light-emitting elements as light emitting means for near-infrared light and visible light, the light source can be made compact and power consumption can be reduced.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment which concerns on this invention was described, this invention is implemented in various forms, without being limited to the said embodiment.

  For example, in the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a near-infrared night-vision device that displays a night-vision image captured by a night-vision camera as it is in the near-infrared region in the infrared light wavelength region used for night-vision imaging. However, it may be infrared light other than the near-infrared region, or may be applied to other in-vehicle devices such as a single irradiation device or a number reading device or devices other than the in-vehicle devices. In addition, high beam distribution is possible by combining the light distribution of each light source of the multi-light source irradiation device. By irradiating both the visible light chip and the near infrared chip, it is a high beam combined type that does not have a mechanical drive unit. Is also applicable. Further, the irradiation energy of the visible light chip is set to be small, and it can be applied as a clearance lamp combined type. Such a dual-purpose type may be designed so as to have the light distribution characteristics of a high beam and a clearance lamp when the light distribution characteristics of all the light sources of the multi-light source irradiation device are overlapped. Further, in such a combination type, since visible light that is white is also added, it is effective for countermeasures against red light leakage, which is a problem of infrared light irradiation.

  In this embodiment, the object to be recognized is a pedestrian, but it may be information necessary for other drivers such as bicycles, vehicles, traffic signs, signals, etc. You may set the object which should be recognized according to the objective.

  Further, in the present embodiment, each light source is composed of LEDs (near infrared chip and visible light chip), but may be composed of other light emitting means for emitting visible light or infrared light.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the multi-light source irradiation device is configured with eight light sources arranged in four stages in the upper and lower two stages, but is not limited to the arrangement of the upper and lower two stage light sources. The number is not limited to eight.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the near infrared night vision camera and the millimeter wave sensor are applied as the detection means, but either one of them or other detection means may be used. Moreover, even if the night vision apparatus is not provided with a detection unit, a configuration in which information such as a pedestrian is acquired from another system may be used.

  Also, in this embodiment, before detecting a pedestrian, the maximum output of near-infrared light of all light sources is stopped and the output of visible light from all light sources is stopped. Only the visible light of the light source with the light distribution characteristic that can irradiate the pedestrian, with the near-infrared light of the light source having the light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating high power and the near-infrared light of the other light source being low output If it is controlled so that the driver can easily recognize the pedestrian before and after detecting the pedestrian, it is controlled appropriately so that the driver can easily recognize the pedestrian. For example, when a pedestrian is detected, only the control of making the near infrared light of a light source having a light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating the pedestrian high output and the near infrared light of other light sources low output Or you can go , Good even if only control to output only the visible light source having a light distribution characteristic which can irradiate the pedestrian, or may be carried out the two control simultaneously.

It is a block diagram of the near-infrared night vision apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a block diagram of each light source of the multiple light source irradiation apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the irradiation area of each light source of the multiple light source irradiation apparatus of FIG. It is an example of the night vision image by the near-infrared night vision apparatus of FIG. 1, (a) is the case where the detection target pedestrian is not highlighted, (b) highlights the detection target pedestrian. This is the case. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of control in the control apparatus of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Near-infrared night vision apparatus, 2 ... Multi-light source irradiation apparatus, 3 ... Millimeter wave sensor, 4 ... Near-infrared night vision camera, 5 ... Head-up display, 6 ... Control apparatus, 10 ... Pedestrian detection circuit, 11 ... Obstacle Object detection circuit, 12 ... Irradiation area determination circuit, 13 ... Multiple light source individual drive circuit, 20 ... Light source, 21 ... Visible light chip, 22 ... Near infrared chip

Claims (8)

A plurality of light sources that emit visible light and infrared light, and irradiate visible light and infrared light emitted with different light distribution characteristics from other light sources;
An irradiation apparatus comprising: output control means for controlling the output of visible light and the output of infrared light of each of the plurality of light sources.   The irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source includes a semiconductor light emitting element that emits visible light and a semiconductor light emitting element that emits infrared light. A detection means for detecting a target object;
When the detection means detects the target object, the output control means controls the infrared light of the light source having a light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating the detected target object among the plurality of light sources and performs the detection. Controlling the output of the infrared light of a light source with a light distribution characteristic that cannot irradiate the target object and / or controlling the output of the visible light of the light source with a light distribution characteristic that can irradiate the detected target object among the plurality of light sources. The irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein   The output control means controls output of infrared light of all light sources of the plurality of light sources and outputs visible light of all light sources of the plurality of light sources when the detection means does not detect the target object. When the target object is detected by the detection means, the infrared light of the light source having a light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating the detected target object among the plurality of light sources is controlled at a high output and the detection is performed. Controlling the output of visible light of a light source with a light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating the detected target object among the plurality of light sources after controlling the low output of the infrared light of the light source with a light distribution characteristic that cannot irradiate the target object The irradiation apparatus according to claim 3. A night vision device for night vision with infrared light,
A plurality of light sources that emit visible light and infrared light, and irradiate visible light and infrared light emitted with different light distribution characteristics from other light sources;
An imaging unit that receives the reflected infrared light among the infrared light emitted from the light source, and shoots with the received infrared light;
A night vision apparatus comprising: output control means for controlling the output of visible light and the output of infrared light of each of the plurality of light sources.   6. The night vision apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light source includes a semiconductor light emitting element that emits visible light and a semiconductor light emitting element that emits infrared light. A detection means for detecting a target object;
When the detection means detects the target object, the output control means controls the infrared light of the light source having a light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating the detected target object among the plurality of light sources and performs the detection. Controlling the output of the infrared light of a light source with a light distribution characteristic that cannot irradiate the target object and / or controlling the output of the visible light of the light source with a light distribution characteristic that can irradiate the detected target object among the plurality of light sources. The night vision apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by the above.   The output control means controls output of infrared light of all light sources of the plurality of light sources and outputs visible light of all light sources of the plurality of light sources when the detection means does not detect the target object. When the target object is detected by the detection means, the infrared light of the light source having a light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating the detected target object among the plurality of light sources is controlled at a high output and the detection is performed. Controlling the output of visible light of a light source with a light distribution characteristic capable of irradiating the detected target object among the plurality of light sources after controlling the low output of the infrared light of the light source with a light distribution characteristic that cannot irradiate the target object The night vision apparatus according to claim 7.

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