JP2006182297A - Image pick-up device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image pick-up device for a vehicle, capable of reducing power consumption. <P>SOLUTION: This device comprises an image pick-up device main body 3 to pick up images ahead of a vehicle, a light sensor 7 to detect lighting/lighting off of illumination lights provided on the vehicle, and a car speed sensor 8 to detect car speed of the vehicle. It is also provided with a control unit 5 to determine that image pick-up processes are not necessary to stop supply of power to the image pick-up device main body 3 when lighting off of the illumination lights is detected by the car speed sensor 8, or when a vehicle stop state is detected by the car speed sensor 8. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus for a vehicle that captures an image in the front direction of the vehicle.

  Conventionally, in order to be able to detect other vehicles and obstacles existing in the vehicle front direction, a vehicle having a vehicle image pickup device that captures an image in the vehicle front direction is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

JP 2000-123151 A

  However, since conventional vehicle imaging devices always perform an imaging operation regardless of the running state of the vehicle, they consume a lot of battery power and contribute to shortening the battery life.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular imaging apparatus capable of reducing power consumption.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an imaging apparatus for a vehicle according to the present invention includes an imaging unit that captures an image in the front direction of the vehicle, and an illumination lamp operation detection unit that detects whether the illumination lamp provided in the vehicle is turned off / on. And the vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle, and when the illumination lamp is detected to be turned off by the illumination lamp operation detection means, or when the vehicle speed detection means detects the stop state of the vehicle, the power to the imaging means Control means for stopping the supply.

  According to the vehicular imaging apparatus of the present invention, when the illumination lamp is turned off or when the stop state of the vehicle is detected, the control unit determines that the imaging process is not necessary, and the imaging unit Since power supply to is stopped, power consumption can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a configuration of a vehicle imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[Configuration of vehicle imaging device]
As shown in FIG. 1, an imaging apparatus for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle 1, and an imaging apparatus main body 3 mounted on a rearview mirror 2 with a vehicle front direction as an imaging direction, and night imaging. An IR (IntraRed) lamp (or LED (Light Emission Diode)) 4 that irradiates near-infrared light in the vehicle forward direction as illumination light at the time, and a control unit 5 that controls the imaging operation of the imaging apparatus main body 3 are mainly used. It is provided as a component, and an image of the vehicle front direction is captured using electric power from a battery power source (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1. The imaging device main body 3 has a configuration of a general imaging device such as an optical filter, an image sensor, a CDS / AGC circuit, a DSP, and a video driver, and is provided in the vehicle interior by taking an image of the vehicle front direction. Output to the display device. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 5 includes a light sensor 7 that detects turning off / lighting of a headlamp 6 (see FIG. 1) and a small light provided in the vehicle, and the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1. And a wiper sensor (wiper switch) 9 for detecting the operation / stop of the wiper arm provided on the front window side of the vehicle 1, and an imaging device according to the detection results of these sensors. The operation of the main body 3 is controlled. Also, the control unit 5 is based on the luminance data of the video imaged by the imaging device body 3 and changes the imaging parameters of the imaging device body 3 such as backlight correction, shutter speed, iris, analog gain, etc. Feedback control.

  And in the imaging device for vehicles which has such a structure, the control unit 5 reduces the power consumption of a battery power supply by performing the imaging control process shown below. The operation of the control unit 5 when executing this imaging control process will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[Imaging control processing]
The flowchart shown in FIG. 3 starts when the power source of the vehicle imaging device is turned on, and the imaging control process proceeds to step S1.

  In the process of step S1, the control unit 5 refers to the detection result of the light sensor 7, and determines whether or not the headlamp 6 of the vehicle 1 is turned off. If the headlamp 6 of the vehicle 1 is turned off as a result of the determination, the control unit 5 determines that the environment outside the vehicle is bright and does not require an imaging operation, and advances the imaging control process to step S6. On the other hand, when the headlamp 6 of the vehicle 1 is lit, the control unit 5 advances the imaging control process to the process of step S2.

  In the process of step S2, the control unit 5 refers to the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor 8, and determines whether or not the vehicle 1 is stopped. If the vehicle 1 is stopped as a result of the determination, the control unit 5 determines that the imaging operation is not necessary, and advances the imaging control process to the process of step S6. On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 is not stopped, the control unit 5 determines that an imaging operation is necessary, and advances the imaging control process to the process of step S3.

  In the process of step S3, the control unit 5 refers to the detection result of the wiper sensor 9, and determines whether or not the wiper arm is operating. If the wiper arm is not activated as a result of the determination, the control unit 5 advances the imaging control process to the process of step S4. On the other hand, when the wiper arm is operating, the control unit 5 advances the imaging control process to the process of step S5.

  In the process of step S4, the control unit 5 captures an image in the front direction of the vehicle by controlling the imaging device body 3 (normal shooting). Thereby, the process of step S4 is completed, and the imaging control process returns to the process of step S1.

  In the process of step S <b> 5, the control unit 5 performs on / off control of the shutter of the imaging device body 3 according to the positional relationship between the position of the wiper arm and the imaging direction of the imaging device body 3. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, when the position of the wiper arm 10 does not coincide with the imaging direction of the imaging apparatus main body 3, the control unit 5 turns on the shutter of the imaging apparatus main body 3 and displays the image in the front direction of the vehicle. When the position of the wiper arm 10 coincides with the imaging direction of the imaging apparatus body 3, the shutter of the imaging apparatus body 3 is turned off to stop imaging. Thereby, the process of step S5 is completed, and the imaging control process returns to the process of step S1.

  In the process of step S6, the control unit 4 stops the power supply to the imaging apparatus main body 2 and reduces the power consumption of the battery power supply. Thereby, the process of step S6 is completed, and the imaging control process returns to the process of step S1.

  As is clear from the above description, according to the vehicle imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the light sensor 7 detects that the headlamp is turned off, or the vehicle speed sensor 8 stops the vehicle 1. When the state is detected, the control unit 5 determines that the imaging operation is not necessary, and stops the power supply to the imaging apparatus main body 3. Therefore, the power consumption of the battery can be reduced and the battery life can be extended. it can.

  Further, according to the vehicular imaging apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the operation of the wiper arm 10 is detected by the wiper sensor 9, the control unit 5 sets the position of the wiper arm 10 to the imaging apparatus main body 3. Since the operation of the imaging apparatus main body 3 is stopped at the timing overlapping with the direction, the image of the wiper arm 10 is included in the captured image when the wiper arm is operating during traveling in the rain or traveling in the snow. Reflection can prevent the driver from feeling annoyed.

  As mentioned above, although the embodiment to which the invention made by the present inventor is applied has been described, the present invention is not limited by the description and the drawings that form part of the disclosure of the present invention according to this embodiment. That is, it should be added that other embodiments, examples, operation techniques, and the like made by those skilled in the art based on the above embodiments are all included in the scope of the present invention.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the imaging device for vehicles shown in FIG. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of the imaging control process used as one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the position of a wiper arm, and an imaging timing.

Explanation of symbols

1 Vehicle 3 Imaging Device Body 4 IR Lamp (or LED)
5 Control unit 7 Light sensor 8 Vehicle speed sensor 9 Wiper sensor 10 Wiper arm

Claims (2)

Image pickup means for picking up an image of the vehicle forward direction;
Illuminating lamp operation detecting means for detecting turning off / on of the illuminating lamp provided in the vehicle;
Vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle;
Control means for stopping power supply to the imaging means when the illumination lamp operation detection means detects that the illumination lamp is extinguished, or when the vehicle speed detection means detects a stop state of the vehicle. An imaging apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: The vehicle imaging device according to claim 1,
A wiper arm operation detecting means for detecting the operation / stop of the wiper arm provided on the front window side of the vehicle,
When the operation of the wiper arm is detected by the wiper arm operation detection unit, the control unit stops the operation of the imaging unit at a timing at which the position of the wiper arm overlaps the imaging direction of the imaging unit. A vehicular imaging device.

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