JP2007106198A - Vehicle periphery monitor device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To transmit the left side information and the right side information efficiently when the heading of a vehicle is turned. <P>SOLUTION: A monitoring device 1 for the surrounding area of the vehicle is equipped with a first sensing part 3 mounted left forward of the vehicle, a second sensing part 4 mounted right forward, and a control unit 7 and is connected with a winker switch 25, a display 8, and a speaker 9. The sensing parts 3 and 4 are furnished each with an image pickup device 16 and a radar 17, and transmit when the vehicle is to be turned left, necessary information to the driver using the images acquired by an image pickup device 16 of the first sensing part 3 upon receiving the output from the winker switch 25 and the sensing result of the radar 17 of the second sensing part 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle periphery monitoring device that is mounted on a vehicle and used to monitor the periphery of the vehicle.

Some conventional vehicle periphery monitoring devices are equipped with one camera and one distance measuring sensor using ultrasonic waves at the left and right corners of a bumper in front of the vehicle. When the distance measuring sensor detects an obstacle, a warning is issued and the video of the camera arranged immediately above the distance measuring sensor is displayed on the display device of the car navigation device instead of the navigation screen (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ). In addition, a sensor using a microwave and a camera are mounted on a door mirror to display an image in front of the vehicle on a monitor, and a lamp is lit in a different color depending on whether there is an obstacle or the approaching situation, Some devices calculate the distance between objects and display them on a monitor (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 200426012 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-3011541

By the way, it is preferable to display the information on the left front and the right front of the vehicle when the driver is difficult to grasp the road information properly, for example, when the vehicle leaves an alley with poor visibility. Similarly, it is preferable to display information on the left rear and right rear of the vehicle as necessary. However, in order to display both left and right information on the screen, the amount of information processing increases and the load on the control unit increases. In addition, there is a problem that the size of one screen becomes small and it is difficult for the driver to see.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a main object of the present invention is to enable efficient transmission of left and right separate information.

The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention that solves the above-mentioned problems is equipped with an imaging device that captures a situation around the vehicle and an object detection sensor that detects an object around the vehicle, in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle. A control unit that selects a plurality of detection units, an image captured by the imaging device of one of the detection units, and a detection result of the object detection sensor of another detection unit, and outputs the selected result to an output unit; It was set as the vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus characterized by having.
In this vehicle periphery monitoring device, a plurality of detection units are arranged in the vehicle width direction, and an image of the imaging device of any of the detection units is selected and displayed. Furthermore, the detection result of the object detection sensor of another detection unit is selected and output without using the object detection sensor of the detection unit that outputs the video. Thereby, the periphery of the vehicle is monitored using different means at different positions.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle periphery monitoring device according to the first aspect, when the vehicle turns, the control unit is in a direction opposite to the image of the imaging device in the turning direction and the turning direction. It is comprised so that the output of a certain said object detection sensor may be selected.
In this vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus, information around the vehicle in the turning direction is provided to the driver as an image. Information on the surroundings of the vehicle opposite to the turning direction is notified to the driver when an object approaches the vehicle using an object detection sensor.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle periphery monitoring device according to the first or second aspect, the output means includes a speaker that operates according to a detection result of the object detection sensor.
In this vehicle periphery monitoring device, when the object detection sensor detects the approach of an object, an alarm is output from the speaker. The driver can know the proximity of an object by an alarm.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle periphery monitoring device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the control unit moves the imaging device and the object detection sensor in conjunction with a winker of the vehicle. It is characterized by switching.
In this vehicle periphery monitoring device, when the driver operates the winker, the imaging device and the object detection sensor are selectively switched and used in accordance with the lighting of the winker indicating the turning direction.

  According to the present invention, the image pickup device and the object detection sensor are selected and used, and information on the periphery of the vehicle is acquired using different means at different positions, so that a plurality of image pickup devices are used simultaneously. Compared with, processing becomes easier. Further, since a plurality of images are not displayed at the same time, visibility for the driver is improved.

The best mode for carrying out the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle periphery monitoring device 1 includes a first detection unit 3 disposed on the left side in front of the vehicle 2, and a second detection unit 4 disposed on the right side in front of the vehicle 2. The third detection unit 5 arranged on the left side behind the vehicle 2, the fourth detection unit 6 arranged on the right side behind the vehicle 2, and the control unit 7 to which these four detection units 3 to 6 are connected. The control unit 7 is connected to a display 8 as an output stage and a speaker 9.

  An example of attachment of the first detection unit 3 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the first detection unit 3 is fixed to the outside of the bumper 10 of the vehicle 2. The first detector 3 is fixed to the side of the light 11 so as not to block the light of the light 11 on the front surface, and has a housing 15 that is curved according to the outer shape of the light 11. An imaging device 16 and a radar 17 that is an object detection sensor are fixed in the housing 15. For example, a camera including a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) is used as the imaging device 16. The area captured by the imaging device 16 of the first detection unit 3 is the left front side of the vehicle 2 as in the imaging area R1 shown in FIG. It is preferable to use an imaging device 16 that can acquire video even at night. The radar 17 is configured to receive, for example, a reflected wave reflected from an object by emitting a microwave or an ultrasonic wave. As shown in FIG. 1, the radar 17 has a detection area R2 that covers the diagonally left front of the vehicle 2. A reflected wave in the detection area R2 is received, and for example, the presence or absence of an object or an approach is detected from the presence or absence of the reflected wave or a time change from emission to reception.

  A protective plate 18 is fixed to the housing 15 so as to cover the front side of the imaging device 16 and the radar 17. The protective plate 18 can transmit visible light, radar outgoing waves and reflected waves, and is made of, for example, glass or transparent plastic. Further, a wiper device 19 for wiping off dirt on the outer surface of the protection plate 18 is attached to the housing 15. In the wiper device 19, a wiper blade 20 that is in contact with the protective plate 18 is attached to one end portion of a wiper arm 21, and a base end portion of the wiper arm 21 is rotatably supported by a pivot shaft 22. The pivot shaft 22 can be rotated by a motor (not shown) in the housing 15.

  The second detection unit 4 has an imaging area R1 and a detection area R2 on the right front side of the vehicle 2. Other configurations are the same as those of the first detection unit 3. Similarly, the third detection unit 4 and the fourth detection unit 5 have an imaging area R1 and a detection area R2 on the left rear and right rear of the vehicle 2, respectively, and the configuration thereof is the same as that of the first detection unit 3.

  The control unit 7 is a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and the like, and has four detection units 3 to 6 on its input side, a blinker switch 25 as a turning detection sensor, a yaw rate sensor 26, and a steering. An angle sensor 27 and a vehicle speed sensor 28 are connected. A display 8 and a speaker 9 are connected to the output side of the control unit 7. As will be described later in detail, the control unit 7 controls the video signal of the imaging device 16 of one specific detection unit 3 to 6 in accordance with the turning direction of the vehicle 2 and the vehicle width relative to the imaging device 16. Selection means for selectively extracting the received signal of the radar 17 on the opposite side in the direction, image processing means for displaying the extracted video signal as an image, and acoustic processing means for outputting an alarm according to the detection result of the radar 17 Can be divided into functions. The display 8 and the speaker 9 may be a known car navigation device. In this case, the control unit of the car navigation device may be used for video processing and sound processing.

  The winker switch 25 is a switch that outputs a signal indicating an instruction direction when the turn direction of the vehicle 2 is instructed by a winker. The yaw rate sensor 26 is a sensor that outputs the turning direction and turning angle of the vehicle 2. The steering angle sensor 27 is provided on the steering wheel, and detects and outputs the steering angle and the steering direction. The turning detection sensor may be any one of the blinker switch 25, the yaw rate sensor 26, and the steering angle sensor 27.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 4 shows only a forward process using only the blinker switch 25 as an example of the process.
When the vehicle 2 makes a right turn or a left turn, the driver turns on the turn signal in the turning direction. A signal indicating the direction indicated by the winker is output from the winker switch 25, and the control unit 7 starts processing (step S101). The control unit 7 includes an image of the imaging device 16 in the direction indicated by the blinker switch 25 in the first and second detection units 3 and 4 on the front side, and a detection signal of the radar 17 on the side opposite to the indication direction. Is selectively acquired (step S102).

  For example, when the signal from the blinker switch 25 indicates a left turn, the video signal of the imaging device 16 of the first detection unit 3 and the reception signal of the radar 17 of the second detection unit 4 are the control unit 7. Extracted by Since the control unit 7 outputs the image of the imaging area R1 captured by the imaging device 16 of the first detection unit 3 to the display 8, the driver makes a right turn while referring to this image. Further, the control unit 7 processes the output signal of the radar 17 of the second detection unit 4 and outputs an alarm from the speaker 9 when the presence of an object is recognized in the detection area R2. The driver can confirm whether or not a pedestrian or the like is close to the opposite side by an alarm, so keep making a left turn while paying attention to the right side.

  The control unit 7 repeats the process of step S102 until the winker is OFF, that is, the output of the winker switch 25 is OFF (No in step S103). When the winker is turned off (Yes in step S103), the video display of the imaging device 16 is stopped and the object detection of the radar 17 is stopped (step S104), and the processing here is terminated.

  When the yaw rate sensor 26 is used as the turning detection sensor, the yaw rate sensor 26 detects the turning direction when the vehicle 2 actually turns, the image display of the imaging device 16 in the turning direction, the turning direction, The object detection of the radar 17 in the opposite direction is performed. When the steering angle sensor 27 is used, when the driver steers the steering wheel by a predetermined angle, the direction in which the driver actually steers is detected, and the image display of the imaging device 16 in the steering direction is displayed. Object detection of the radar 17 in the direction opposite to the steering direction is performed.

  According to this embodiment, when the vehicle 2 is turned to the right or left, an image in front of the turning direction can be photographed with the imaging device 16 so that it can be confirmed in real time. Since the detection is performed, right and left turns can be performed while paying attention to both the left and right sides. At this time, since only the image of the turning direction is displayed on the display 8, the screen becomes an appropriate size and can be easily confirmed visually. Further, since the other side of the turning direction is notified of the presence of the object by sound, the minimum information necessary for turning can be reliably transmitted to the driver. Since the winker switch 25 is used as the turning detection sensor and interlocked with the winker, the switching process can be performed before the vehicle 2 actually starts turning or almost simultaneously with the start of turning. Therefore, it is possible to monitor the periphery of the vehicle 2 by reflecting the driver's intention early and accurately. When the yaw rate sensor 26 or the steering angle sensor 27 is used, the above-described peripheral monitoring can be performed only when actual turning is performed.

Note that the present invention can be widely applied without being limited to the above-described embodiment.
For example, as a means for notifying the result of object detection by the radar 17, a lighting device such as an LED (light emitting diode) may be used instead of the speaker 9. By turning on or blinking the lighting device, the driver can be alerted to the object on the opposite side.
Further, when turning the vehicle 2 during reverse travel, the same processing may be performed using the third and fourth detection units 5 and 6.
Instead of the blinker, the imaging device 16 and the radar 17 may be switched in conjunction with blinking of a hazard lamp or switching of the transmission.
Each detection unit 3 to 6 may be built in the vehicle 2 instead of being attached to the outside of the vehicle 2.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a vehicle periphery monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram of a vehicle periphery monitoring device. It is a figure which shows an example of a detection part and attachment to a vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the process of a vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus 2 Vehicle 3 1st detection part 4 2nd detection part 7 Control unit 8 Display (output means)
9 Speaker (output means)
16 Imaging device 17 Radar (objective detection sensor)
25 blinker switch

Claims (4)

An imaging device that captures a situation around the vehicle and an object detection sensor that detects an object around the vehicle, and a plurality of detection units arranged in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle,
A control unit that selects an image captured by the imaging device of one of the detection units and a detection result of the object detection sensor of the other detection unit and outputs the selected result to an output unit;
A vehicle periphery monitoring device comprising:   The control unit is configured to select an image of the imaging device in a turning direction and an output of the object detection sensor in a direction opposite to the turning direction when the vehicle turns. The vehicle periphery monitoring apparatus according to claim 1.   The vehicle periphery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the output unit includes a speaker that operates according to a detection result of the object detection sensor. 4. The vehicle periphery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches between the imaging device and the object detection sensor in conjunction with a winker of the vehicle. 5.

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