JP2008195329A - Side mirror and dead angle reducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate driver's visual confirmation of a pedestrian when turning to the right or left without shut off by a side mirror. <P>SOLUTION: A display screen for displaying image information is provided in a part of a mirror surface. When a vehicle changes traffic lanes, two types of image information on the right and left sides behind the vehicle are displayed on the display screens of the vehicle provided with right and left side mirrors, respectively. When the vehicle turns to the right, the image information of a place where driver's line of sight is obstructed by the side mirror on the right side is displayed on the display screen on the right side of the vehicle provided with the side mirrors on the right and left sides, and the image information on the left side behind the vehicle is displayed on the display screen on the left side. When the vehicle turns to the left, the image information of a place where driver's line of sight is obstructed by the side mirror on the left side is displayed on the display screen on the left side of the vehicle, and the image information on the right side behind the vehicle is displayed on the display screen on the right side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is used for large vehicles such as trucks and buses. In particular, it relates to safety confirmation technology when turning left or right or changing lanes.

  Large vehicles such as trucks and buses are equipped with extremely large side mirrors compared to passenger cars for safety confirmation around the vehicle. Thereby, the range which becomes a blind spot from a driver | operator is decreased, and the safety confirmation around a vehicle can fully be performed (for example, refer patent document 1).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-151338 JP 2000-71877 A

  Large side mirrors on large vehicles such as trucks and buses are indispensable for safety confirmation around the vehicle, but when turning left or right at the intersection, pedestrians on the pedestrian crossing in the direction of right or left turn When confirming the presence or absence, there is a problem that it is difficult to see because the field of view is blocked by a large side mirror.

  Conventionally, in such a case, the driver moves his / her body to turn the line of sight in the direction behind the side mirror to check the situation of the place blocked by the side mirror. In particular, when turning right, it was necessary to pay great attention to the oncoming vehicle going straight ahead, and also to pay attention to the situation where it was blocked by the side mirror.

  In addition, an apparatus that displays image information of a blind spot on a display screen has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). However, this apparatus displays image information on a display screen in the cab.

  For example, when making a right turn, the driver needs to pay great attention to an oncoming vehicle that goes straight and a pedestrian on a pedestrian crossing on the right turn side. In this case, the driver's line of sight is concentrated on the right front side or the right side of the vehicle. In such a state, it is difficult to move the line of sight to the display screen in the cab.

  Patent Document 2 is an example of a passenger car. In the case of a passenger car, since the distance between the door mirror and the cab is short, for example, by providing a display screen on the glass surface of the side window as in the example of Patent Document 2. The distance of movement of the driver's line of sight between the door mirror and the display screen can be shortened. However, in the case of large vehicles such as trucks and buses, the distance between the side mirror and the cab is long. The problem cannot be solved even if it takes a simple method.

  The present invention is performed under such a background, and a side mirror and a blind spot reduction device capable of avoiding a situation where confirmation of the presence or absence of a pedestrian is blocked by a side mirror when turning right or left The purpose is to provide.

  A first aspect of the present invention is a side mirror including a display screen that displays image information on a part of a mirror surface.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, image information including a place where a driver's line of sight is blocked by the side mirror is displayed on the display screen of the vehicle having the side mirror mounted on the right side. And a blind spot reducing device.

  According to this, the image information including the place obstructed by the right side mirror when the vehicle turns right can be confirmed by the display screen provided in a part of the right side mirror. At this time, the driver can easily view the image information without shifting his line of sight from the right front side or the right side.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, image information including a place where a driver's line of sight is blocked by the side mirror is displayed on the display screen of the vehicle having the side mirror mounted on the left side of the present invention. And a blind spot reducing device.

  According to this, it is possible to confirm the image information including the place obstructed by the left side mirror when the vehicle is turned left by the display screen provided in a part of the left side mirror. At this time, the driver can easily view the image information without shifting his line of sight from the left front side or the left side.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blind spot reduction device comprising: the side mirror of the present invention; and means for displaying image information on the right rear side of the vehicle on the display screen of the vehicle equipped with the side mirror. It is.

  According to this, it is possible to perform a right rear safety check when changing to a right lane or turning left. In particular, in large vehicles such as trucks and buses, it is useful to be able to confirm the rear because the overhang at the rear end is large.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blind spot reduction device comprising: the side mirror of the present invention; and means for displaying left rear image information of the vehicle on the display screen of the vehicle with the side mirror mounted on the left side. It is.

  According to this, it is possible to confirm the left rear safety when changing the lane to the left lane or turning right. In particular, in large vehicles such as trucks and buses, it is useful to be able to confirm the rear because the overhang at the rear end is large.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, when the vehicle is in a lane change state on the right side and the display screen on the right side of the vehicle on which the side mirror is mounted on the right and left respectively, When the vehicle is in the lane change state on the left side, the left rear image information of the vehicle is displayed on the display screen on the left side of the vehicle with the side mirrors mounted on the left and right sides, and when the vehicle is in the right turn state Image information including a place where the driver's line of sight is blocked by the right side mirror is displayed on the display screen on the right side of the vehicle with the side mirrors mounted on the left and right sides, and the vehicle is displayed on the left display screen. When the vehicle is in a left turn state, the driver's line of sight is displayed on the display screen on the left side of the vehicle with the side mirrors mounted on the left and right, respectively. And displays the image information including the location where interrupted by the left side mirror on the right the display screen of a blind spot reduction device and means for displaying the image information on the right rear of the vehicle.

  According to this, appropriate image information can be automatically displayed in accordance with the traveling state and traveling environment of the vehicle.

  In addition, when the vehicle is in a lane change state on the right or left side, there is provided means for displaying image information on the right rear and left rear of the vehicle on the right and left display screens of the vehicle with the side mirrors mounted on the left and right, respectively. May be.

  According to this, since it is sufficient to display the same image information regardless of the lane change to the right lane or the lane change to the left lane, the image display control can be simplified.

  Note that the left and right rear image information can be used not only for turning left and right, but also for width adjustment when entering a garage or parking, so only when a lane change or right / left turn state is detected. For example, the driver may be allowed to instruct display of image information by operating a switch.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the situation where the confirmation of the presence or absence of a pedestrian is obstruct | occluded by the side mirror at the time of a right or left turn can be avoided. In addition, when turning left or right, it is possible to avoid contact with an obstacle due to an overhang at the rear end of the vehicle.

  A side mirror and a blind spot reduction device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a side mirror of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the side mirror 4 of this embodiment includes a display screen 2 that displays image information on a part of the mirror surface 1. A hood 3 is provided on the back surface of the mirror surface 1.

  The blind spot reduction device of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a vehicle (truck) equipped with the blind spot reduction device of this embodiment. The side mirrors 4 shown in FIG. In addition, a camera device 7-FR that captures an image of the right front of the vehicle, a camera device 7-FL that captures an image of the left front of the vehicle, a camera device 7-BR that captures an image of the right rear of the vehicle, and the left of the vehicle A camera device 7-BL that captures a rear image is provided. The camera device corresponding to the camera device 7-FR or 7-FL may be configured as the side mirror 4 that is built in the hood 3 and includes both the monitor device and the camera device corresponding to the display screen 2. Images taken by the camera devices 7-FR, 7-FL, 7-BR, and 7-BL are shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the camera device 7-FR captures a right front situation of the vehicle. This image includes a place where the line of sight is blocked by the right side mirror 4 when the driver looks right in front of the vehicle when turning right. As shown in FIG. 4, the camera device 7-FL shoots a left front situation of the vehicle. This image includes a place where the line of sight is blocked by the left side mirror 4 when the driver looks left front of the vehicle when making a left turn. As shown in FIG. 5, the camera device 7-BR captures a right rear situation of the vehicle. This image includes a location where an overhang at the right rear end of the vehicle approaches when the driver turns left. As shown in FIG. 6, the camera device 7-BL captures the situation on the left rear side of the vehicle. This image includes a location where an overhang at the left rear end of the vehicle approaches when the driver turns right.

  Images taken by these camera devices 7-FR, 7-FL, 7-BR, and 7-BL are input to the display switching unit 6 and are switched by the control of the control unit 5 so that the right or left side mirror 4 is switched. Displayed on the display screen 2. The examples of FIGS. 3 to 6 illustrate the situation when turning left or right, but can also be used for width adjustment when changing lanes, entering a garage, or parking and stopping.

  Next, an image switching procedure of the control unit 5 at the time of turning left and right and changing the lane will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the situation when turning right. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the situation when turning left. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a situation where the lane is changed to the right lane. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a situation where the lane is changed to the left lane. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit 5.

  The control unit 5 monitors information on the direction indicator operation, the vehicle speed, and the steering operation (S1), and determines the lane change state or the right / left turn state of the vehicle based on these various vehicle information. For example, if the direction indicator is operated when the vehicle speed is high (for example, 30 km / h or more), it can be determined that the lane is changed. Further, when the direction indicator is operated when the vehicle speed is low (for example, 15 km / h or less), it can be determined that the vehicle is turning right or left. Further, regarding the steering operation, if the lane is changed, the steering operation is a relatively small operation, and if it is a right / left turn, the operation is a relatively large operation. Therefore, it can be determined whether the lane change or the left / right turn. Further, when the steering wheel is operated and then returned to the original state, it is possible to determine the end of the lane change or the right / left turn. Such a determination method is not directly related to the present invention, and any existing method can be applied.

  The control unit 5 determines that the vehicle is in a lane change state (S2), and in the case of a right lane change (S8), as shown in FIG. 9, a right rear image is displayed on the display screen 2 of the right side mirror 4 (S9). ). When the left lane is changed (S8), as shown in FIG. 10, a left rear image is displayed on the display screen 2 of the left side mirror 4 (S10). As a result, it is possible to confirm the following vehicle traveling in the lane to be changed.

  When the control unit 5 determines that the vehicle is turning right (S3), as shown in FIG. 7, the right front image is displayed on the display screen 2 of the right side mirror 4 (S4), and the left side mirror 4 is displayed. A left rear image is displayed on the screen 2 (S5). As a result, the place where the line of sight is blocked by the right side mirror 4 is displayed on the display screen 2 of the right side mirror 4, and the place where the overhang at the left rear end approaches is displayed on the left side mirror 4. An image is displayed on the screen 2.

  When the control unit 5 determines that the vehicle is in a left turn state (S3), as shown in FIG. 8, a left front image is displayed on the display screen 2 of the left side mirror 4 (S6), and the display screen of the right side mirror 4 is displayed. 2 displays the right rear image (S7). As a result, a place where the line of sight is blocked by the left side mirror 4 is displayed on the display screen 2 of the left side mirror 4, and a place where the overhang at the right rear end approaches is displayed on the right side mirror 4. An image is displayed on the screen 2.

  Further, when the vehicle is in the lane change state on the right side or the left side, the right and left display screens 2 may simultaneously display image information on the right rear and left rear of the vehicle. According to this, determination of step S8 can be omitted.

  In addition to the automatic image display based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 11, the driver can instruct display of an arbitrary image by a switch operation. For example, FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the situation of garage entry. When entering the garage, as shown in FIG. 12, by displaying the left and right rear images on the display screen 2 of the left and right side mirrors 4, The driver can confirm the rear when entering the garage by displaying the image on the display screen 2. This can also be used for width adjustment when parking and stopping.

  For night photography, the ambient lighting is provided by the lighting of the vehicle, so the sensitivity of the camera devices 7-FL, 7-FR, 7-BL, 7-BR is set higher than the daytime. Yes. Alternatively, the camera devices 7-FL, 7-FR, 7-BL, and 7-BR may have an infrared photographing function and may include an infrared projector.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to avoid a situation where the confirmation of the presence or absence of a pedestrian is obstructed by a side mirror when turning right or left, and contact with an obstacle due to an overhang at the rear end of the vehicle when turning right or left Can be avoided. Furthermore, the side mirror of the present invention can also be used for width adjustment when changing lanes, entering a garage, or parking and stopping. Thereby, it can utilize for enforcement of safe driving.

The block diagram of the side mirror of a present Example. The conceptual diagram of the vehicle (truck) which mounts the blind spot reduction apparatus of a present Example. The figure which shows the image which the camera apparatus (front right) image | photographed. The figure which shows the image which the camera apparatus (front left) image | photographed. The figure which shows the image which the camera apparatus (right back) image | photographed. The figure which shows the image which the camera apparatus (left back) image | photographed. The figure which shows the condition at the time of a right turn. The figure which shows the condition at the time of a left turn. The figure which shows the condition which changes lane to the right. The figure which shows the condition which changes lane to the left. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of a control part. The figure which shows the condition of garage storage.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mirror surface 2 Display screen 3 Hood 4 Side mirror 5 Control part 6 Display switching part 7-FR, 7-FL, 7-BR, 7-BL Camera apparatus

Claims (7)

  A side mirror with a display screen that displays image information on part of the mirror surface. A side mirror according to claim 1;
A blind spot reduction device comprising: means for displaying image information including a place where a driver's line of sight is blocked by the side mirror on the display screen of a vehicle on which the side mirror is mounted on the right side. A side mirror according to claim 1;
A blind spot reduction device comprising: means for displaying image information including a place where a driver's line of sight is blocked by the side mirror on the display screen of a vehicle on which the side mirror is mounted on the left side. A side mirror according to claim 1;
A blind spot reduction device comprising: means for displaying image information of a right rear side of the vehicle on the display screen of the vehicle on which the side mirror is mounted on the right side. A side mirror according to claim 1;
A blind spot reduction device comprising: means for displaying image information of the left rear of the vehicle on the display screen of the vehicle on which the side mirror is mounted on the left side. A side mirror according to claim 1;
When the vehicle is in a lane change state on the right side, the image information on the right rear of the vehicle is displayed on the display screen on the right side of the vehicle with the side mirrors mounted on the left and right,
When the vehicle is in a lane change state on the left side, the left rear image information of the vehicle is displayed on the display screen on the left side of the vehicle with the side mirrors mounted on the left and right,
When the vehicle is in a right turn state, the display screen on the right side of the vehicle with the side mirrors mounted on the left and right displays image information including the location where the driver's line of sight is blocked by the right side mirror, and the left side Display the left rear image information of this vehicle on the display screen,
When the vehicle is in a left turn state, image information including a place where the driver's line of sight is blocked by the left side mirror is displayed on the display screen on the left side of the vehicle with the side mirrors mounted on the left and right, respectively, A blind spot reduction device comprising: means for displaying image information of a right rear side of the vehicle on a display screen.   Claims comprising means for displaying right and left rear image information of the vehicle on the right and left display screens of the vehicle with the side mirrors attached to the left and right respectively when the vehicle is in a lane change state on the right or left side. Item 7. The blind spot reducing device according to Item 6.

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