JP2002077894A - Superimposing apparatus for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a superimposing apparatus capable of superimposing an image pattern on a camera video without remarkably changing an existing vehicle monitoring system using a monitor camera. SOLUTION: The superimposing apparatus comprises a first switch unit 15 provided between a decoder 9 of the monitor camera 1 and an encoder 10, and having first input terminals of respective color signals and second input terminals of color signals to be superposed to output respective color signals switched and superimposed according to the image pattern to the encoder 10; a second switch unit 16 having the color signal input terminals and a black signal level input terminal according to the image pattern to output the signal selected according to the image pattern to the second input terminal; and a controller 7 having a RAM for storing the data of the image patterns, and synchronously controlling the first and second switch units 15 and 16 according to a reference signal from a synchronism detector 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle superimposing device capable of superimposing an image pattern on a camera image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a vehicle monitoring system, a situation around the vehicle is photographed by using a monitoring camera mounted on the vehicle, and the surrounding situation is displayed on a screen of a monitor device. Is made to be recognized by the driver.

[0003] When the driver obtains information on the surrounding conditions, in particular, when obtaining information during operation of the vehicle, it is necessary to appeal to the visual and auditory senses in a short period of time for recognition. The vehicular monitoring system has a large amount of information visually, but is not sufficient for instantaneous recognition.It may be helpful to display characters such as illustrations, icons, messages, etc. on the screen in combination, or Attempts have been made to increase the recognition rate of the surrounding situation by adding sound.

Conventionally, as one of the attempts, in a superimposing device of a vehicle monitoring system using a monitoring camera of an RGB system, an image signal of a photographed surrounding situation is taken into a storage device such as a video RAM. The storage device performs image processing such as pixel conversion, superimposes an image pattern such as a character meaning an illustration, an icon, or a message on the image data, and outputs and displays the completed data on a screen of a monitor device. As a result, the recognition rate of the surrounding situation is increased.

[0005]

However, this conventional vehicle superimposing device requires a dedicated input / output device, and once captures an image signal from a surveillance camera into a storage device such as a video RAM to perform data processing. Requires a large-capacity storage device, increases the number of data processing steps, and cannot be easily retrofitted to an existing vehicle monitoring system. In order to do so, the vehicle monitoring system must be significantly changed, which adds to the cost of retrofitting the system and hinders its spread to vehicles in general. In particular, in the case of a vehicle surveillance system using an existing NTSC type surveillance camera, it is difficult to construct the entire system because it must be reconstructed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can superimpose an image pattern on a camera image without significantly changing an existing vehicle monitoring system using a monitoring camera. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular superimpose device capable of improving the efficiency of recognizing information during vehicle operation.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle superimposing apparatus for superimposing an image pattern on a video signal output from a surveillance camera. And a decoder unit for converting the video signal of R, G, and B into color signals.
A synchronization detection unit that detects a synchronization signal included in a video signal from the monitoring camera and outputs a reference signal, and an encoder that restores the video signal based on a color signal output from the decoder, A first input terminal provided between the decoder unit and the encoder unit for inputting the color signals, and a second input terminal for inputting a color signal level to be superimposed; And a first switch unit for outputting each color signal having the image pattern superimposed thereon toward the encoder unit, an input terminal to which a color signal level is applied according to the image pattern, and a black signal level. An input terminal to be applied, and outputting a signal level selected according to the image pattern to the second input terminal. A first switch unit and a second switch unit based on each data of the RAM unit, the first switch unit and the second switch unit being operated by receiving the reference signal; And a control unit that performs synchronous control of

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle superimposing apparatus, wherein a data ROM in which each data of the image pattern is recorded, and each data stored in the data ROM are read out by an external operation and stored in the RAM. A writing microcomputer.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle superimposing apparatus, the data ROM is configured to indicate each of R, G, and B color signal data for one pixel of data and to indicate whether or not to superimpose. It is characterized in that data of a total of 4 bits together with flag data is recorded.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle superimposing apparatus, the RAM unit stores one flag area for storing the flag data and three color signal data.
The first switch unit is controlled to be switched based on the flag data, and the second switch unit is selectively controlled to be switched based on the respective color signal data.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle superimposing apparatus, the data of the image pattern is stored in the data ROM such that the image pattern is displayed as a pseudo moving image on a screen of a monitor device. It is characterized by the following.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle superimposing apparatus, the video signal is of an NTSC system.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the image pattern is created by using a bitmap editor of a personal computer, and the bitmap data created by the bitmap editor is R for one pixel. , G, B, and the flag data, are converted into binary data consisting of a total of 4 bits of data and combined into one file, and the binary data combined into one file is converted into binary data. The data is converted into a write data format of a ROM writer device and written into the data ROM.

[0014]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of a vehicle superimposing device according to the present invention. This figure 1
, 1 is a monitoring camera, 2 is a monitor device, 3 is an external operation device, and 4 is a superimpose circuit. The superimposing circuit 4 is inserted between the existing NTSC monitoring camera 1 and the monitoring device 2.

The superimpose circuit 4 stores data R
OM (DATAROM) 5, microcomputer 6,
It has a control unit 7, a synchronization detection unit 8, a decoder unit 9, and an encoder unit 10. The control unit 7 is a RAM in which each data is stored.
Having a part. The RAM section includes a flag data RAM area 11, a red image data RAM area 12, a green image data RAM area 13, and a blue image data RAM area 14.

The surveillance camera 1 captures an image of the periphery of the vehicle
The video signal (image signal) of the TSC system is output to the synchronization detector 8 and the decoder 9. The synchronization detection unit 8 detects a horizontal synchronization signal and a vertical synchronization signal from the video signal, generates a reference signal based on the horizontal synchronization signal and the vertical synchronization signal, and outputs the reference signal to the control unit 7. The decoder unit 9 plays a role of decoding an NTSC image signal from the monitoring camera 1 into R, G, and B signals.

A plurality of image patterns of icons, illustrations, characters, and the like recorded in the data ROM 5 are superimposed on the video signal. The data includes, for one pixel (one pixel), data Rd, Gd, Bd of three primary colors (R, G, B), and whether or not to superimpose an image pattern on a video signal output from the monitoring camera 1. Of the flag data Cd for determining
The bits are configured as a set. The set of data of four bits makes it possible to express and display eight colors (red, blue, green, cyan, magenta, yellow, white, and black) and transparent colors.

The microcomputer 6 plays a role of reading a data group from the data ROM 5 in accordance with an operation command from the external operation device 3 and writing the data group in the RAM unit of the control unit 7. The microcomputer 6 performs arithmetic processing for writing the read data to a specified position on the monitor screen.

Each RAM area 12, 13 of the control unit 7
One bit data specified by the microcomputer 6 is written in the memory corresponding to one pixel of 14 and corresponding to one pixel to be displayed on the screen of the monitor device.

The control section 7 operates based on the reference signal, and plays a role of synchronously controlling the first switch section 15 and the second switch section 16. The switch section 16 is provided between the decoder section 9 and the encoder section 10. The encoder unit 10 plays a role of restoring the R, G, and B signals into an NTSC video signal.

The switch unit 15 includes switches SWR, SW
G, SWB, each switch SWR, SWG, SW
B is a first input terminal SWR1, SWG1, SWB1, a second input terminal
Input terminals SWR2, SWG2, SWB2, output terminal SW
R3, SWG3, SWB3, changeover switch SWR
4, SWG4 and SWB4.

Each of the first input terminals SWR1, SWG1, SW
R1, G, and B color signals are input from the decoder unit 9 to B1. Changeover switch SWR4, SWG
4, SWB4 switches its connection between each first input terminal SWR1, SWG1, SWB1 and each second input terminal SWR2, SWG2, SWB2 according to the flag data Cd of the RAM11.

When the changeover switches SWR4, SWG4, SWB4 are connected to the respective first input terminals SWR1, SWG1, SWB1, the output terminals SWR3, SWG3, SWB3 output the respective R, G, B signals from the decoder section 9. The signal is output to the encoder unit 10 via the switch unit 15, and the encoder unit 10 converts the R, G, and B signals into the original NTSC signal.
A signal is constructed, the NTSC signal is input to the monitor device 2, and the situation around the vehicle imaged by the monitoring camera 1 is displayed on the screen of the monitor device 2 as it is.

The switch section 16 includes switches SWR 'and SW
G ′, SWB ′, and each switch SWR ′, SW
G 'and SWB' are first input terminals SWR'1 and SWG '
1, SWB'1, second input terminal SWR'2, SWG '
2, SWB'2, output terminals SWR'3, SWG'3, S
WB'3, changeover switches SWR'4, SWG'4,
SWB'4.

Each of the first input terminals SWR'1, SWG'1,
SWB'1 has variable resistors VrR and Vr for setting the color voltage.
G, VrB divided voltage (color signal level) ER, EG, E
B is applied. Each second input terminal SWR'2, SW
A GND signal level (black signal level) is applied to G′2 and SWB′2. Each output terminal SWR'3, SW
G′3 and SWB′3 are input terminals SWR2, SWG2,
Connected to SWB2.

Each changeover switch SWR'4, SWG '
4, SWB'4 are the RAM areas 12, 1
Switching between the first input terminals SWR′1, SWG′1, SWB′1 and the second input terminals SWR′2, SWG′2, SWB′2 is performed according to the data Rd, Gd, Bd from 3 and 14.

Each changeover switch SWR'4, SWG '
4, SWB'4 is the first input terminal SWR'1, SWG '
1, when connected to SWB'1, the color signal levels corresponding to each color of red, green, and blue are output to each output terminal SWR'3, SWG '.
3, SWB'3 to each second input terminal SWR2, SWG
2, output to SWB2, and each changeover switch SWR '
4, SWG'4 and SWB'4 are the second input terminals SWR '
2, SWG′2, SWB′2, the black signal level is changed to each output terminal SWR′3, SWG′3, SWB′3.
Is output to each of the second input terminals SWR2, SWG2, SWB2.

When the superimpose is performed, the changeover switches SWR4, SWG4, and SWB4 are turned on by the second input terminal SWR by the flag data Cd of the control unit 7.
2, SWG2 and SWB2.

At this time, each changeover switch SWR'4,
SWG′4, SWB′4 are the first input terminals SWR′1, SWR
When connected to WG'1 and SWB'1, a portion of the image pattern to display a color based on the additive display of the three primary colors of red, green and blue is superimposed on the image signal, and each changeover switch SWR '4, SWG'4,
SWB'4 is an input terminal SWR'1, SWG'1, SW
When connected to B′1, the portion of the image pattern to display black is superimposed on the image signal.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an image pattern superimposed on an image on the screen of the monitor device 2. FIG. 2A shows an image 17 captured by the monitoring camera 1. FIG. 2B shows an image pattern 18 to be superimposed. When the image pattern 18 is superimposed by the transmission type format, as shown in FIG. When the image pattern 18 is superimposed by the non-transmissive type, the image 1 behind the image pattern 18 is displayed as shown in FIG.
7 is hidden and the image is displayed.

The recording of each data of the image pattern 17 in the data ROM 5 is performed, for example, as follows.

Using a bitmap editor of a commercially available personal computer, bitmap data as an image pattern 17 is created, and this bitmap data is calculated by summing the R, G, B 3-bit data and the flag data for one pixel. The data is converted into binary format data consisting of a 4-bit data group and collected into one file.
RO in binary format data
Convert to the write data format of the M writer device,
The data is written into the data ROM 5 by the writer device.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. The decoder 9 converts the NTSC image signal from the monitor 1 into R, G, and B color signals, and then superimposes the signals. Therefore, even in the case of a monochrome image signal that does not include a color burst signal, a color image pattern can be superimposed.

Also, by shifting the image pattern little by little,
By displaying icons and characters continuously, a pseudo moving image can be displayed. In this case, each data of the image pattern 17 is stored in the data ROM 5 so that the image pattern 18 is displayed as a pseudo moving image on the screen of the monitor device.

[0035]

According to the vehicle superimposing device according to the first aspect, the image pattern is superimposed on the camera image without largely changing the existing vehicle monitoring system using the monitoring camera. Therefore, it is possible to increase the efficiency of recognizing information during operation of the vehicle, and to produce the information at a low cost.

Further, since the image signal of the NTSC system from the monitoring monitor is converted into R, G and B color signals by the decoder unit and then superimposed, a color burst signal is included. Even when there is no monochrome image signal, a color image pattern can be superimposed.

According to the vehicle superimposing device, the degree of freedom in displaying an image pattern to be superimposed can be easily increased.

According to the vehicle superimposing device described in claim 5, a pseudo moving image can be superimposed on a video signal with a simple configuration.

According to the vehicle superimposing apparatus of the present invention, image pattern data can be created using a bitmap editor of a commercially available personal computer, and the creation of the data is easy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of a vehicle superimposing device according to the present invention.

2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an example of an image pattern superimposed on a video, in which FIG. 2A illustrates an image captured by a monitoring camera, and FIG. 2B illustrates an example of an image pattern superimposed; (C) shows how the image behind looks when the image pattern is superimposed by the transmission type, and (d) shows the image when the image pattern is superimposed by the non-transmission type. Is shown.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Surveillance camera 7 ... Control part 8 ... Synchronization detection part 9 ... Decoder part 10 ... Encoder part 15 ... First switch part 16 ... Second switch part

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hirotaka Iwano 5-35-2 Hakusan, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo Clarion Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5C023 AA18 AA37 AA38 BA11 CA02 CA05 DA02 DA04 EA03 5C054 EH01 FE16 FE28 GA04 GD09 HA30 5H180 AA01 CC05 LL01 LL02 LL08

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle superimposing apparatus for superimposing an image pattern on a video signal output from a monitoring camera, wherein the video signal from the monitoring camera is converted into an R signal, a G signal,
A decoder for converting a color signal into a color signal of a B signal; a synchronization detector for detecting a synchronization signal included in a video signal from the surveillance camera and outputting a reference signal; and a color signal output from the decoder. An encoder unit for restoring the video signal based on a color signal level to be superimposed and a first input terminal provided between the decoder unit and the encoder unit to receive the color signals; A first switch unit having a second input terminal for outputting each color signal switched according to the image pattern and superimposed on the image pattern toward the encoder unit; and a color signal according to the image pattern. A signal having an input terminal to which a level is applied and an input terminal to which a black signal level is applied and selected according to the image pattern A second switch section for outputting a level toward the second input terminal; a RAM section for storing each data of the image pattern;
A superimposing device for a vehicle, comprising: a control unit configured to synchronously control the first switch unit and the second switch unit based on each data of an AM unit. 2. A data ROM in which each data of the image pattern is recorded, and a microcomputer which reads each data stored in the data ROM by an external operation and writes the read data into the RAM unit. Item 4. A vehicle superimposing device according to item 1. 3. The data ROM stores a total of 4 bits of data of R, G, and B color signal data and flag data for instructing whether or not to superimpose one pixel of data. The vehicle superimposing device according to claim 2, wherein 4. The RAM section has one RAM area for storing the flag data, and three RAM areas for storing the respective color signal data, and the first switch section is configured based on the flag data. 4. The vehicle superimposing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein switching control is performed, and the second switch section is selectively switched based on the respective color signal data. 5. The data ROM so that the image pattern is displayed as a pseudo moving image on a screen of a monitor device.
5. The vehicle superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each data of the image pattern is stored in the superimposing apparatus. 6. The superimposing device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the video signal is in an NTSC system. 7. The image pattern is created using a bitmap editor of a personal computer, and the bitmap data created by the bitmap editor is composed of three bits of R, G, and B for one pixel and the flag data. Is converted into binary format data consisting of a total of 4 bits of data and combined into one file, and the binary format data combined into the single file is converted into the write data format of the ROM writer device, 3. The vehicle superimposing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the data is written into the data ROM.