JP2006222844A - On-vehicle image information output device, and method of controlling same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an on-vehicle image information output device capable of outputting appropriate image information regardless of a running environment of a vehicle, and to provide a method of controlling the on-vehicle image information output device. <P>SOLUTION: AThe on-vehicle image information output device (10) includes: an imaging part (12); adjustment parts (14 and 16) for adjusting a condition for obtaining image information; and a control part (18) for controlling the adjustment parts on the basis of running environment information of the vehicle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle image information output device and a control method for an in-vehicle image information output device that are optimal for boundary lines of a traveling road and image recognition of a vehicle.

  In an imaging device used for boundary recognition of a traveling path, image recognition of a vehicle, and the like, exposure control of the imaging device is performed using all data included in image information for image recognition obtained from the imaging device.

  However, the image information used for the boundary line of the travel path and the image recognition of the vehicle usually includes data that is not the recognition target, and when the ratio of the data that is not the recognition target increases, appropriate exposure Control could not be performed. Further, when the traveling environment changes suddenly, the exposure control is delayed, so that there is a problem that accurate image recognition cannot be performed.

  Therefore, image information is obtained by the imaging means, and based on only the obtained image information, an appropriate processing area corresponding to road conditions is set in the image, and an image suitable for image recognition is obtained using the processing area. There has been known an attempt to perform next exposure control of the imaging means so as to be obtained (for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, the image information itself obtained by the imaging means is not accurate, or it cannot respond quickly to sudden changes in the driving environment, and appropriate exposure control cannot always be performed. It was.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-66060 (FIG. 2)

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle image information output device and a control method for the in-vehicle image information output device that can output appropriate image information regardless of the traveling environment of the vehicle.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle image information output device and a control method for the in-vehicle image information output device that can quickly cope with a sudden change in driving environment.

  Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle image information output device and a control method for the in-vehicle image information output device that can output appropriate image information based on accurate information.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, in the in-vehicle image information output device according to the present invention, the exposure control unit is controlled based on the imaging unit, the adjustment unit that adjusts the conditions for obtaining the image information, and the traveling environment information of the vehicle. And a control unit.

  In the in-vehicle image information output device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the control unit determines an exposure condition of the imaging unit from the travel environment information, and the adjustment unit adjusts the imaging unit based on the exposure condition. It is preferable to adjust the exposure time of the imaging unit and the amount of light incident on the imaging unit. For example, by controlling the exposure time of an image sensor comprised of a CCD or CMOS included in the image pickup unit, and by controlling the optical aperture included in the image pickup unit, an optimum preceding vehicle regardless of the driving environment In addition, it is possible to output image information for identifying white lines, traveling lanes, and the like.

  Furthermore, in the in-vehicle image information output device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the control unit determines processing conditions from the travel environment information, and the adjustment unit adjusts image information output from the imaging unit based on the processing conditions. For example, the adjustment unit adjusts the imaging data output from the imaging unit to appropriate image information by adjusting the gain of the amplifier or adjusting a parameter for performing image processing.

  Furthermore, in the in-vehicle image information output device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the exposure condition is a sunshine condition of the vehicle. Since the adjustment unit is configured to adjust the imaging unit based on the sunshine condition, it is possible to output good image information even at night or when traveling toward the sun.

  Furthermore, in the in-vehicle image information output device according to the present invention, the traveling environment information includes the presence / absence of a tunnel, presence / absence of an elevated road, road gradient, date and time, weather, vehicle direction, vehicle speed, vehicle topography, vehicle surroundings It is preferable to include the facility information or the color of the vehicle body of the surrounding vehicle. For example, even if a vehicle suddenly moves out of the tunnel, moves suddenly in a dark tunnel, or is present near the entrance of the uphill or the entrance of the downhill, appropriate image information is output. It became possible to do.

  Furthermore, in the in-vehicle image information output device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the traveling environment information includes a vehicle speed, and the control unit changes a control tracking speed of the exposure control unit.

  Furthermore, in the in-vehicle image information output device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the travel environment information is stored in advance in the storage unit or is received by the communication unit.

  Furthermore, in the in-vehicle image information output device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the travel environment information is received by vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication. For example, it has become possible to receive the color information of the vehicle body of the preceding vehicle by vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication, and to output appropriate image information related to the color of the vehicle body of the preceding vehicle.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the control method of the in-vehicle image information output device according to the present invention includes a step of controlling a condition for obtaining image information based on traveling environment information of the vehicle. .

  According to the present invention, the conditions for obtaining the image information are adjusted based on the traveling environment information, so that it is possible to obtain image information for good image recognition regardless of the traveling environment of the vehicle. It was.

  Hereinafter, an in-vehicle image information output device and a control method for the in-vehicle image information output device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle image information output device 10 and its peripheral devices according to the present invention.

  The in-vehicle image information output device 10 includes an imaging unit 12 including an imaging optical system and an imaging element, an image processing unit 14, an exposure control unit 16, a control unit 18, and the like.

  The imaging unit 12 includes an imaging optical system configured with a lens, a diaphragm, and the like, and an imaging device configured with a CMOS or a CCD. The imaging unit 12 is attached to an appropriate vehicle location such as the position of the rearview mirror, and is configured to acquire an image (including video) in front of the vehicle and output imaging data.

  The image processing unit 14 includes various electronic circuits, a memory, and the like, receives the imaging data output from the imaging unit 12, and performs analog signal processing such as color separation and color balance adjustment, analog / digital conversion processing, luminance / Image information is output by performing digital signal processing such as saturation adjustment and edge enhancement.

  The exposure control unit 16 includes various electronic circuits, a memory, and the like. The exposure control unit 16 generates a drive signal for driving the image sensor of the imaging unit 12 according to the exposure time determined by the control unit 18 and supplies the drive signal to the imaging unit 12. . Therefore, the imaging device of the imaging unit 12 generates charges corresponding to the exposure time determined by the control unit 18, transfers the generated charges according to the drive signal, and outputs them as imaging data.

  The control unit 18 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, a storage unit, a bus, and the like, acquires travel environment information from the navigation device 20 and the vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information receiving device 30 according to a program stored in advance, and performs exposure. Determine the time. In addition, the control unit 18 acquires image information from the image processing unit 14 by controlling the exposure control unit 16 according to the determined exposure time, and transmits the acquired image information to the travel control unit 40 described later.

  The navigation device 20 includes a navigation control unit 22, a hard disk for recording map information used for navigation, a map information storage unit 23 composed of a recording medium such as a DVD or a CD, and VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System) information. The receiving unit 24, the GPS information receiving unit 25, the gyro sensor 26, the vehicle speed pulse receiving unit 27, and a video / audio output unit 28 including a thin liquid crystal display, a speaker, and the like. The navigation control unit 22 includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, a storage unit, a bus, and the like. The map information stored in the map information storage unit 23 and the congestion information received by the VICS information reception unit 24 according to a program stored in advance. , Travel-related information related to vehicle travel, including traffic regulation information and weather information, vehicle position information received by the GPS information receiver 25, vehicle travel direction information acquired from the gyro sensor 26, and vehicle speed pulse receiver The navigation operation is performed using the video / audio output unit 28 using the vehicle speed pulse received by the vehicle 27. Further, the navigation control unit 22 transmits to the control unit 18 current time information from the GPS information and traveling environment information indicating that the vehicle has approached the entrance or exit of the tunnel, the entrance of the uphill or the downhill, and the like.

  The vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information receiving device 30 is configured to include a receiving antenna attached to the vehicle. This is received as traveling environment information between vehicles and transmitted to the control unit 18. Further, as will be described later, the vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information receiving device 30 receives the preceding vehicle information including the color information of the vehicle body of the preceding vehicle from the road information transmitting device 600 arranged on the road as the traveling environment information between the vehicles. And transmitted to the control unit 18.

  The travel control device 40 includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, storage means, a bus, and the like. The travel control device 40 uses the vehicle position information and road information received from the navigation device 20 and the vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information received from the vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information receiving device 30 in accordance with a program stored in advance. On the other hand, based on the image information received from the control unit 18, image recognition of a white line or a center line of a road, image recognition of a preceding vehicle, image recognition of an obstacle, and the like are performed.

  In FIG. 2, an example of the control flow by the control part 18 is shown.

  The control unit 18 determines the exposure time based on the traveling environment information, and the exposure control unit 16 controls the imaging unit 12 with a drive signal corresponding to the exposure time. If the exposure time is long, the image pickup unit 12 (image pickup element) accumulates the charge for a long time. If the exposure time is short, the charge is accumulated for a short time. Therefore, it is preferable to set the exposure time long when the object to be recognized is dark or at night, and it is preferable to set the exposure time short in the daytime or in a place where the surroundings are very bright. Conversely, if the exposure time is set short at night, etc., it will be difficult to distinguish, for example, a black car from the surroundings. If the exposure time is set long during the day, the white line or center It becomes difficult to distinguish the line from the road. In the present embodiment, the exposure time is set so as to be adjusted in five stages. However, the setting method in this embodiment is an example, and is not limited to this.

  It is assumed that at least the image information output device 10, the navigation device 20, the vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information reception device 30, and the travel control device 40 are mounted on the vehicle and the travel environment information can be received by the control unit 18 ( S201).

  Next, the control unit 18 acquires current time information (using GPS information) from the navigation device 20 as travel environment information (S202), and the current time is night (surrounding is sufficiently dark) based on the time information. Is determined (S203). Note that it is preferable that what time to what time is night can be set according to the season and latitude.

  If it is determined in S203 that it is not night, the control unit 18 acquires vehicle position information as travel environment information from the navigation device 20 (S204), and whether the vehicle exists near the entrance of the tunnel. (S205) It is determined whether it exists near the exit of the tunnel (S206), whether it exists near the entrance of the uphill (S207), or exists near the entrance of the downhill (S208).

  If the vehicle is not near the entrance of the tunnel, the exit of the tunnel, the entrance of the uphill, or the entrance of the downhill, not at night, the control unit 18 receives the vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information receiver 30 from the vehicle Inter-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information is received as travel environment information (S209), whether there is a preceding vehicle (S210), whether the body color of the preceding vehicle is white (S211), or whether the body color of the preceding vehicle is black (S212) ).

  There is no vehicle near the tunnel entrance, tunnel exit, uphill entrance, or downhill entrance, and the body color is white even if there is no preceding vehicle or there is a preceding vehicle. Alternatively, if it is not black, the control unit 18 determines the exposure time based on an average density of a specific image increase area, which will be described later, and controls the exposure control unit 16 to generate a drive signal according to the determined exposure time. (S213) and the flow of an example is terminated.

  In the case of S213 in FIG. 3 (not night, the vehicle does not exist near the entrance of the tunnel, near the exit of the tunnel, near the entrance of the uphill and near the entrance of the downhill, and there is no preceding vehicle or there is a preceding vehicle. Even if the color of the vehicle body is not white or black), an example of an image obtained is shown.

  In FIG. 3A, 301 indicates a part of the bonnet of the host vehicle, 302 is a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, 303 is a center line, 304 is an opposite lane, 305 and 306 are roadside belts, and 307 is empty. Show. In S213, the exposure time is determined based on the average density of the image of the portion excluding the hood and sky of the host vehicle (corresponding to the lane portion 310 in FIG. 3B, in this case “specific image region”). did.

  If it is determined that the night is determined in S203 or near the entrance of the tunnel in S205, a long exposure time is determined, and a drive signal corresponding to the exposure time determined by the exposure control unit 16 is generated. Control is performed as described above (S214), and the flow of the example is terminated. As a result, the imaging unit 12 can perform imaging according to the determined long exposure time, so that it is possible to obtain image information for performing good identification even in a dark night or in a tunnel.

  Further, when it is determined in S206 that it is near the exit of the tunnel, a short exposure time is determined, and control is performed so as to generate a drive signal corresponding to the exposure time determined by the exposure control unit 16 (S215). End the flow. As a result, the imaging unit 12 can perform imaging according to the determined short exposure time, so that it is possible to obtain image information for good identification even when the imaging unit 12 suddenly moves from a dark tunnel to a bright day.

  Further, when it is determined in S207 that the vicinity of the entrance of the uphill is used, the exposure control unit 16 determines the exposure time using the average density of the entire image and generates a drive signal corresponding to the determined exposure time. Is controlled (S216), and the flow of the example is terminated.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of an image obtained near the entrance of the uphill.

  In FIG. 4, 401 indicates a part of the hood of the host vehicle, 402 indicates a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, 403 indicates a center line, 404 indicates an opposite lane, and 405 and 406 indicate roadside zones. In S216, since it is the entrance of the uphill, there is a high possibility that the traveling path constituting the uphill is captured on the entire screen, so that the exposure time is based on the average density of the entire image (in this case, the “specific image area”). Was to be determined.

  Further, when it is determined in S208 that it is near the entrance of a downhill, the exposure time is determined using the average density of the lower half of the image, and exposure control is performed so as to generate a drive signal corresponding to the determined exposure time. The unit 16 is controlled (S217), and the flow of the example is terminated.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of an image obtained near the entrance of the downhill.

  In FIG. 5, 501 indicates a part of the bonnet of the host vehicle, 502 indicates the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, 503 indicates the center line, 504 indicates the opposite lane, 505 and 506 indicate the roadside band, and 507 indicates the sky. Yes. In S217, since it is a downhill entrance, there is a high possibility that the sky in the upper half mainly captures the sky and distant scenery, so the lower half of the image (the lower half of the center line 510 in the figure: this In this case, the exposure time is determined based on the average density of the “specific image region”).

  Further, when it is determined in S211 that the color of the vehicle body of the preceding vehicle is white, a short exposure time is determined, and control is performed so that the exposure control unit 16 generates a drive signal corresponding to the determined exposure time ( S218), the example flow is terminated. As a result, the imaging unit 12 can perform imaging according to the determined short exposure time, so that even a bright body color can be discriminated from the surroundings, and a good preceding vehicle can be identified. Image information can be obtained.

  Further, when it is determined in S212 that the color of the vehicle body of the preceding vehicle is black, a long exposure time is determined, and control is performed so as to generate a drive signal corresponding to the determined exposure time in the exposure control unit 16 ( S219), the example flow is terminated. As a result, the imaging unit 12 can perform imaging in accordance with the determined long exposure time, so that it is possible to discriminate from the surroundings even in the case of a dark body color, and for identifying a good preceding vehicle. Image information can be obtained.

  In this way, the control unit 18 determines an appropriate exposure time based on the travel environment information, and the exposure control unit 16 adjusts the imaging unit 12 according to the determined exposure time. It became possible to output optimal image information.

  A method for receiving travel environment information between vehicles and between road vehicles will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 6, a road information transmission device 600 is installed in a roadside zone of a traveling road, a vehicle A is equipped with an inter-vehicle information transmission device 610, and a vehicle B is an image information output device according to the present invention. 10. It is assumed that a navigation device 20, an inter-vehicle / road-vehicle information receiving device 30, and a travel control device 40 are mounted.

  The road information transmitting device 600 is configured to measure information related to the vehicle A in the situation shown in FIG. 6A and send the measured information to the subsequent vehicle B in the situation shown in FIG. 6B. . Further, the road information transmitting device 600 monitors an image within a predetermined range (angle α in the figure), and measures color information, speed information, etc. of the vehicle body of the vehicle passing through this region as travel environment information. However, these pieces of information are examples, and the road information transmitting device 600 can measure other information as the travel environment information.

  The inter-vehicle information transmission device 610 is configured to transmit information related to the own vehicle (for example, the vehicle A), for example, color information of the vehicle body, speed information, and the like as travel environment information. However, these pieces of information are examples, and the inter-vehicle information transmission device 610 can transmit other information as the travel environment information.

  The vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information receiving device 30 mounted on the vehicle B can directly receive the traveling environment information regarding the preceding vehicle A from the vehicle-to-vehicle information transmitting device 610 of the preceding vehicle A, and further transmit road information. It is also possible to receive travel environment information regarding the preceding vehicle A from the device 600. Therefore, in S209 of FIG. 2, the control unit 18 receives the vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle driving environment information obtained by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication and / the road-to-vehicle communication.

  In the above embodiment, the control unit 18 determines the exposure time based on the traveling environment information, and the exposure control unit 16 adjusts the image sensor of the imaging unit 12 according to the determined exposure time. However, the control unit 18 determines the exposure condition of the imaging unit 12 based on the traveling environment information, and controls the exposure control unit 16 so as to adjust the aperture of the imaging unit 12 based on the determined exposure condition. Can do.

  Further, the exposure control unit 16 is configured to be able to move the imaging unit 12, and the control unit 18 determines the exposure condition of the imaging unit 12 based on the traveling environment information, and the imaging unit 12 based on the determined exposure condition. The exposure control unit 16 may be controlled so as to change the direction. In this case, for example, the imaging unit 12 can be faced down to prevent the imaging unit 12 from directly capturing the sun even in a situation where backlighting occurs.

  Further, a movable hood may be provided on the front surface of the imaging unit 12 so that the exposure control unit 16 can adjust the movable hood. In this case, the control unit 18 determines the exposure condition of the imaging unit 12 based on the traveling environment information, and the exposure control unit 16 so as to adjust the aperture ratio of the movable hood based on the determined exposure condition. You may control. For example, even in a situation where backlighting occurs, the aperture ratio of the movable hood can be lowered to reduce the amount of sunlight incident on the imaging unit 12.

  Further, a plurality of color filter switching devices may be provided on the front surface of the imaging unit 12 so that the exposure control unit 16 can replace the filters. In this case, the control unit 18 determines the exposure condition of the imaging unit 12 based on the traveling environment information, and controls the exposure control unit 16 so as to select a specific color filter based on the determined exposure condition. be able to. For example, when the vehicle color of the preceding vehicle is red, the preceding vehicle can be more clearly captured as part of the image information by using the green filter.

  In the above embodiment, the control unit 18 determines the exposure time based on the traveling environment information, and the exposure control unit 16 adjusts the image sensor of the imaging unit 12 according to the determined exposure time. However, the control unit 18 can determine the processing condition based on the traveling environment information, and can control the image processing unit 14 so that the imaging data from the imaging unit 12 is adjusted according to the determined processing condition. it can. For example, appropriate image information can be obtained by adjusting the gain of an amplifier in the image processing unit 14 that amplifies imaging data from the imaging device of the imaging unit 12. Also, appropriate image information can be obtained by adjusting parameters when image processing is performed on image data from the image sensor of the imaging unit 12.

  In the above embodiment, the travel environment information includes the date and time information, the position near the entrance of the tunnel, the vicinity of the exit of the tunnel, the vicinity of the entrance of the uphill and the vicinity of the entrance of the downhill, and the body color of the preceding vehicle. Obtained information. However, as the traveling environment information, the sun position and altitude information, the vehicle traveling direction information, the preceding vehicle position information, the preceding vehicle number information, the preceding vehicle color information, and the like can be used. For example, it is conceivable to set a short exposure time when the vehicle is moving toward the sun, or to set a long exposure time when traveling in a shaded area. Also, not the information on whether the color of the vehicle body of the preceding vehicle is white or black, but information on whether it is a light color or a dark color is received, and the exposure condition is determined according to the brightness of each color. May be.

  Further, information such as road density, road shape, number of lanes, travel lane, road gradient, and the like that can be acquired from the navigation device 20 can be used as the travel environment information.

  Furthermore, information such as weather, curve, vehicle speed, and overhead can be used as travel environment information. For example, even in a situation where the vehicle is backlit from the traveling direction of the vehicle and the direction of the sun, it is not necessary to adjust the exposure conditions and processing conditions so much if the weather is cloudy. In addition, because the direction of the vehicle changes sharply on the curve, the sun may suddenly come to the front. Therefore, if it is predicted that the vehicle will be backlit from the direction of the vehicle and the position of the sun that are expected from the curve, it is conceivable to prepare the exposure conditions and processing conditions in advance so that they can be dealt with instantaneously. Similar control can be performed even when climbing or descending hills repeatedly. Furthermore, vehicle speed information can be taken into account when determining exposure conditions and processing conditions when passing through a tunnel. For example, the speed of change in brightness differs between when passing at a high speed and when passing at a low speed, and the follow-up speed (frequency and response) of control according to exposure conditions and processing conditions can be changed accordingly. . Similarly, when passing under an overpass or when going through a curve, when the brightness changes abruptly, such as when climbing down or vice versa, adjustments based on exposure conditions and processing conditions are taken into account. It is preferable to change the speed (frequency and response).

  Furthermore, as traveling environment information, it is possible to use information on the topography and facilities near the traveling route, such as whether it is an urban area, whether it is a mountainous area, whether it is along a coast, whether it is a highway, or the like. For example, in an urban area or a mountainous area, the possibility of sunlight entering the imaging unit is reduced by being blocked by a building or terrain, but it is highly likely to be backlit in a plain part along the coast. Also, in urban areas and highways, it is often bright even at night, but it is often backlit accordingly, so it may be possible to adjust the exposure conditions and processing conditions to be brighter.

  In the above embodiment, the travel environment information is acquired from the navigation device 20 or the vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information receiving device 30, but the travel environment information may be stored and held in advance. For example, the travel environment information can be stored in a memory of the control unit 18 or a recording medium (eg, CD, DVD, HDD, etc.) of the navigation device 20. In this case, it is also conceivable to update the traveling environment information stored in advance using a communication means provided in the vehicle. Furthermore, traveling environment information that changes in real time, such as weather, can be acquired using communication means, and traveling environment information that does not change much, such as road shape and tunnel, can be stored in advance. By doing so, it is possible to save the transmission amount, transmission fee, time, and the like.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although driving environment information was acquired from the navigation apparatus 20 or the vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information receiving apparatus 30, driving environment information can be acquired from the radar apparatus provided in the vehicle. In this case, the inter-vehicle distance information detected by the radar device can be used as the travel environment information. For example, when the inter-vehicle distance is close, the exposure condition is determined based on the brightness of the entire image, and when the inter-vehicle distance is long, the exposure condition is determined based on the brightness of the lower half of the screen. And the center line can be discriminated more appropriately. Furthermore, it is possible to request exchange of traveling environment information by vehicle-to-vehicle communication with a vehicle in front or rear using a radar device.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although driving environment information was acquired from the navigation apparatus 20 or the vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information receiving apparatus 30, driving environment information can be acquired from accessories, such as a light and a wiper of the own vehicle. For example, if the wiper is moving, it is possible to determine exposure conditions and processing conditions that make it easy to detect wet road surfaces by determining that it is raining. Further, if the lighting information of the light is used as the driving environment information, it is possible to prepare in advance for a sudden change in brightness, such as when the light is turned off while waiting for a signal and the light is turned on at the start.

  In the above-described embodiment, the imaging unit 12 is installed so as to capture an image only in front of the vehicle, but may capture an image in the rear or side of the vehicle or in the vehicle. In this case, since the direction of the vehicle and the direction of the imaging unit do not necessarily match, it is necessary to correct the traveling environment information corresponding to the deviation of the direction, for example, the relationship with the direction of the sun or the like.

  In the above-described embodiment, the travel environment information is acquired from the navigation device 20 or the vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information receiving device 30, but a past travel history may be stored as the travel environment information. For example, the location and time zone where strong backlighting or exposure amount was insufficient is stored, and when the vehicle is placed in the same location and time zone, the exposure conditions and processing conditions are determined using past driving history. can do. Moreover, such a travel history can be exchanged with another vehicle using inter-vehicle communication. Further, such a travel history may be uploaded by each vehicle to an information collection center or the like for each place and time zone so that all the vehicles can use the information collected at the information collection center or the like.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image information output device 10 and the like according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the control flow concerning this invention. (A) shows an example of an image, (b) is a figure for demonstrating a specific image area | region. It is a figure which shows an example of the image in the entrance vicinity of an uphill. It is a figure which shows an example of the image in the entrance vicinity of a downhill. It is a figure for demonstrating vehicle-to-vehicle communication and road-to-vehicle communication.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image information output device 12 Image pick-up part 14 Exposure control part 16 Image processing part 18 Control part 20 Navigation apparatus 30 Vehicle-to-vehicle / road-to-vehicle information receiver 40 Traveling control apparatus

Claims (17)

An image information output device mounted on a vehicle for outputting image information,
An imaging unit;
An adjustment unit for adjusting conditions for obtaining image information;
A control unit that controls the adjustment unit based on vehicle travel environment information;
An image information output device comprising:   The image information output device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines an exposure condition of the imaging unit from the traveling environment information, and the adjustment unit adjusts the imaging unit based on the exposure condition.   The image information output apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts an exposure time of the imaging unit based on the exposure condition.   The image information output apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the amount of light incident on the imaging unit based on the exposure condition.   The image output device according to claim 4, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the amount of light incident on the imaging unit by changing an angle of the imaging unit.   The image information output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines processing conditions from the traveling environment information, and the adjustment unit adjusts image information output from the imaging unit based on the processing conditions.   The image information output device according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the exposure condition is a sunshine condition of a vehicle.   The travel environment information includes the presence / absence of a tunnel, the presence / absence of an overpass, road gradient, date / time, weather, vehicle direction, vehicle speed, terrain around the vehicle, facility information around the vehicle, or the color of the surrounding vehicle body The image information output device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising:   The image information output device according to claim 1, wherein the traveling environment information includes a vehicle speed, and the control unit changes a tracking speed of control of the adjustment unit.   Furthermore, the image information output device as described in any one of Claims 1-9 which has a memory | storage part which memorize | stores the said driving environment information previously.   Furthermore, the image information output device as described in any one of Claims 1-9 which has a communication part which receives the said driving environment information.   The image information output device according to claim 11, wherein the communication unit receives the travel environment information by vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication. A control method for an image information output device having an imaging unit and mounted on a vehicle,
Control the conditions for obtaining image information based on the driving environment information of the vehicle,
A control method comprising a step.   The step of controlling conditions for obtaining the image information includes a step of determining an exposure condition of the imaging unit from the traveling environment information and a step of adjusting the imaging unit based on the exposure condition. The control method described in 1.   The step of controlling conditions for obtaining the image information includes a step of determining processing conditions from the traveling environment information, and a step of adjusting image information output from the imaging unit based on the processing conditions. Item 14. The control method according to Item 13.   The control method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising a step of receiving the travel environment information.   The driving environment information includes the presence / absence of a tunnel, the presence / absence of an overpass, road gradient, date / time, weather, vehicle direction, vehicle speed, terrain around the vehicle, facility information around the vehicle, or the color of the surrounding vehicle body The control method as described in any one of Claims 13-16 containing this.

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