JP2007290486A - Night forward information offering device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a night forward information offering device specifically designed for a large-sized commercial vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The night forward information offering device is equipped with: a camera device to photograph the scene ahead of a vehicle; a projector to project the image photographed by the camera device; and a reflecting plate which reflects the image given by the projector, wherein the reflecting plate is installed in the inner lower part of the windshield while the projector is installed on the ceiling surface of the cabin. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is used in a device that supports safe driving of a vehicle at night. In particular, it is used for large vehicles (trucks, buses) for transporting cargo and passengers.

For the safe driving of vehicles at night, nighttime front information providing devices for improving the visibility of pedestrians and the like are becoming popular in passenger cars. In passenger cars, it is stipulated that the image display position by the device is on the line of sight of the driver and below the horizontal plane. Actually, a method of projecting image information directly on the inner lower part of the windshield or a method of projecting image information by installing a reflector at that position is employed. FIG. 10 shows the installation positions of the reflector and the projector in the passenger car.
TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION, [online], [Search April 20, 2006], Internet <URL: http://Toyota.jp/crownmajesta/safety/active/index.html>

  It is desirable from the viewpoint of safe driving of the vehicle at night that the above-mentioned night front information providing device is also popular in large commercial vehicles such as trucks and buses. However, since the size of the windshield and the position of the driver's line of sight with respect to the road surface are different between the large commercial vehicle and the passenger car, it is not possible to follow the method implemented in the passenger car as it is.

  For example, in a passenger car, an image is projected from a projector below the reflector on the lower inner side of the windshield, but the problem with this configuration applied to a large commercial vehicle as it is is shown in FIG. This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state of light transmitted through the reflector in a passenger car. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example in which the installation state of the projector and the reflector in the passenger car is applied to a large commercial vehicle as it is.

  As shown in FIG. 12, as in the case of a passenger car, when projection is performed from below to the reflecting plate, the light transmitted through the reflecting plate is reflected on the windshield surface further above the reflecting plate. A ghost image may occur, which hinders visibility. In general, as shown in FIG. 11, in the case of a passenger car, the inclination of the reflector can be made substantially equal to the inclination of the windshield surface, and the transmitted light of the reflector passes through the windshield as it is. Therefore, there is almost no possibility that the ghost image is reflected on the windshield, and it is not necessary to consider the influence of the ghost image. In addition, in the case of a large commercial vehicle, it is difficult to secure an installation location when a projector is installed in the lower part of the cabin.

  Accordingly, it is necessary to newly find the installation position of the projector and the reflector suitable for the large commercial vehicle, and to develop a night front information providing device specialized for the large commercial vehicle.

  The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a night front information providing apparatus specialized for a large commercial vehicle.

  The present invention provides night front information provided with a camera device for photographing the front of a vehicle, a projector for projecting an image photographed by the camera device, and a reflector for projecting an image projected from the projector. An apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the projector is provided on a ceiling surface of a cabin, and the reflecting plate is provided on an inner lower portion of a windshield.

  Thus, by projecting the image from the ceiling surface of the cabin onto the reflector at the lower inner side of the windshield, the ghost image described in FIG. 12 can be made lower than the position of the reflector. In this position, there is no windshield surface, and the influence of the ghost image can be avoided. Moreover, generally, there is no equipment or the like that has been conventionally attached to the ceiling surface, and there is an advantage that there is enough room for attaching the projector.

  According to the present invention, other important effects on safe driving can be obtained. The distance between the projector and the reflecting plate is equal to the distance between the reflecting plate and the virtual image position projected in the reflecting plate. That is, the longer the distance between the projector and the reflector, the longer the distance between the reflector and the virtual image position. In the present invention, since the projector is installed on the ceiling and the reflector is installed in the lower part inside the windshield, there is an advantage that the distance between the projector and the reflector can be sufficiently long.

  This can reduce the difference between the focal length of the eye when the driver is viewing the front and the focal length of the eye when the driver is viewing the virtual image position. Therefore, since the movement of the focal distance of eyes when visually recognizing the front and the virtual image position alternately can be reduced, the driver can easily visually recognize the front and the virtual image position alternately without a sense of incongruity. This is a very important effect for safe driving.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the night front information provision apparatus specialized in the large commercial vehicle can be implement | achieved, and it can contribute to the safe driving at night of a large commercial vehicle.

(First Example)
The nighttime front information providing apparatus of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a night front information providing apparatus according to the present embodiment in a truck. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a mounting state of the projector and the reflector according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first embodiment is a camera device 1 that captures the front of a vehicle, a projector 2 that projects an image captured by the camera device 1, and a projection from the projector 2. It is a night front information provision apparatus provided with the reflecting plate 3 on which the projected image is projected. Here, the feature of the first embodiment is that the projector 2 is provided on the surface of the ceiling 8 of the cabin, and the reflecting plate 3 is provided on the inner lower portion of the windshield 7. In the example of FIG. 2, the reflecting plate 3 is provided on an indicator panel (not shown).

  3 is a view showing a state when the sun visor 5 is housed, FIG. 4 is a view showing a state when the sun visor 5 is used, and FIG. 5 is a view showing a state when the projector 2 is used. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the sun visor 5 has two support shafts 6-1 and 6-2 that are substantially parallel to the windshield 7 with the projector 2 interposed therebetween and are respectively fixed to the ceiling. . When the sun visor 5 is not used, the sun visor 5 is supported by the two support shafts 6-1 and 6-2 and accommodated in the ceiling 8.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the sun visor 5 is used, the sun visor 5 is supported by the support shaft 6-1 closer to the windshield 7. When the projector 2 is used, as shown in FIG. 5, the sun visor 5 is supported by the support shaft 6-2 far from the windshield 7, thereby removing the sun visor 5 from the driver's field of view. The projector 2 can be used. The sun visor 5 serves as a cover for protecting the projector 2 when the projector 2 is not used.

(Second embodiment)
The nighttime front information providing apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The overall configuration diagram of the night front information providing device in the truck is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a mounting state of the projector 2 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the projector 2 is provided on the surface on the driver's seat side of the sun visor 15 accommodated when not in use. In the second embodiment, the support shaft 6 of the sun visor 15 may be one.

  FIG. 7 shows the situation when the sun visor 15 is used. As shown in FIG. 7, when the sun visor 15 is used, the projector 2 is on the back surface of the sun visor 15, so that the projector 2 cannot be used, and when the projector 2 is used, the sun visor 15 is not used. 15 must be housed in the ceiling 8 and the sun visor 15 cannot be used. However, the present embodiment is an embodiment of the night front information providing apparatus, and the sun visor 15 and the projector 2 are used simultaneously. Therefore, the installation method of the projector 2 of the second embodiment is useful from the viewpoint of effective use of the space. Further, when the projector 2 is installed, the projector 2 is attached to the ceiling 8 of the cabin. For example, the sun visor 15 can be manufactured by subcontracting separately from the vehicle manufacturing process, or the existing visor 15 can be manufactured. Such does not require processing for attaching the projector 2 both the useful from the viewpoint of efficiency of the manufacturing process.

(Third embodiment)
The third embodiment is an embodiment of the reflector 3 and will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a structural diagram of a mounting base for the reflector 3. As shown in FIG. 8, the angle of the reflector 3 can be adjusted in the vertical and horizontal directions. The adjustment in the vertical direction is performed after the screws 10-1 and 10-2 are loosened. When the position is determined, the screws 10-1 and 10-2 are tightened. Further, the adjustment in the left-right direction is performed after the screws 11-1 and 11-2 are loosened. When the position is determined, the screws 11-1 and 11-2 are tightened.

(Example summary)
The effects common to the first to third embodiments will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between the installation position of the projector 2 and the virtual image position. As described in the first to third embodiments, installing the projector 2 on the ceiling 8 can avoid the influence of the ghost image and can easily secure the installation location of the projector 2. Although it is excellent, other important effects can be obtained in safe driving.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the distance a between the projector 2 and the reflecting plate 3 and the distance a ′ between the reflecting plate 3 and the virtual image position are in a relationship of a = a ′. That is, the longer the distance a between the projector 2 and the reflecting plate 3, the longer the distance a 'between the reflecting plate 3 and the virtual image position. In this embodiment, since the projector 2 is installed on the ceiling 8 and the reflector 3 is installed on the inner lower part of the windshield 7 such as an indicator panel, there is an advantage that the distances a and a 'can be sufficiently long.

  This can reduce the difference between the focal length of the eye when the driver is viewing the front and the focal length of the eye when the driver is viewing the virtual image position. Therefore, since the movement of the focal distance of eyes when visually recognizing the front and the virtual image position alternately can be reduced, the driver can easily visually recognize the front and the virtual image position alternately without a sense of incongruity. This is a very important effect for safe driving.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the night front information provision apparatus specialized in the large commercial vehicle can be implement | achieved, and it can contribute to the safe driving at night of a large commercial vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. The figure which shows the attachment condition of the projector of 1st Example, and a reflecting plate. The figure which shows the state at the time of accommodation of the sun visor of a 1st Example. The figure which shows the state at the time of use of the sun visor of a 1st Example. The figure which shows the state at the time of use of the projector of a 1st Example. The figure which shows the attachment condition of the projector of 2nd Example, and a reflecting plate. The figure which shows the condition at the time of use of the sun visor of a 2nd Example. FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of a reflector mounting base. The figure which shows the relationship between the installation position of a projector, and a virtual image position. The figure which shows the installation position of the reflecting plate in a passenger car. The figure which shows the state of the reflecting plate transmitted light in a passenger car. The figure which shows the example which applied the installation state of the projector in a passenger car, and a reflecting plate as it is to a heavy commercial vehicle.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera apparatus 2 Projector 3 Reflector 4 Infrared projector 5, 15 Sun visor 6, 6-1, 6-2 Support shaft 7 Windshield 8 Ceiling 10-1, 10-2, 11-1, 11-2 Screw

Claims (1)

In a night front information providing device comprising a camera device that captures the front of a vehicle, a projector that projects an image captured by the camera device, and a reflector that projects an image projected from the projector,
The projector is provided on a ceiling surface of a cabin;
The night front information providing apparatus, wherein the reflector is provided in an inner lower portion of a windshield.

Images