JP2019068343A - Camera device for motorcycle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a camera device for a motorcycle which is equipped with two left and right photographing units for photographing the diagonally rear of a vehicle body at the back of the vehicle body and can make a generated composite image accurate and precise without causing displacement or the like of the composite location when two captured images taken from the two left and right photographing units is combined by correcting the captured images by using a gyro sensor or the like.SOLUTION: In S5, an ASIC 3 corrects a right rear oblique image and a left rear oblique image according to an inclination signal output in S4. Specifically, when a motorcycle M is turning, the two images of the right oblique rear image and the left rear oblique image which are inclined due to the inclination of a vehicle body are corrected on the basis of the inclination signal. Then, in S6, in the ASIC 3, a rear panoramic image of the rear of the vehicle body is generated by using the right rear oblique image and the left rear oblique image subjected to the inclination correction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera device for a motorcycle mounted on a motorcycle or the like, and more particularly, to a camera device for a motorcycle capable of photographing a wide view of the rear of the motorcycle from the center to the rear of the rear of the motorcycle. It is.

  Conventionally, in motorcycles, the visibility at the time of lane change has been a problem because visibility in the diagonally backward direction, which is the blind spot of the rearview mirror, is poor. There is also a need to record the rear view when an accident occurs, and then want to examine the situation of the accident.

  Therefore, in Patent Document 1 below, a technique has been proposed in which imaging units (cameras) are installed at two locations on the left and right of the rear of the vehicle body of the motorcycle to improve the visibility of the vehicle body obliquely rearward.

  Further, Patent Document 2 below proposes a technique for installing an omnidirectional camera (a semi-spherical or a omnidirectional camera) at the steering wheel position of a motorcycle in order to photograph the surroundings of the motorcycle. In the technology of Patent Document 2, there is disclosed a technology of detecting the tilt of an omnidirectional camera during shooting and correcting the tilt of an image photographed by the omnidirectional camera by setting a gyro sensor.

Utility model registration 5157113 gazette JP 2005-234224 A

  By the way, in a motorcycle, at the time of traveling, there is a characteristic that the vehicle body is turned to the inside of a turn (with a bank angle) to turn. That is, a motorcycle does not turn at a steering angle to a wheel as in a general automobile but turns at a camber angle at a wheel by tilting the vehicle body to the left and right.

  Due to this characteristic, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, when the imaging units are installed at the left and right of the rear of the vehicle body of the motorcycle and the landscape behind the vehicle body is photographed, photographing is performed according to the inclination of the vehicle The image is skewed. In particular, when photographing obliquely backward, the frame is displaced up and down with the inclination of the vehicle body at the time of turning or the like, which causes a problem that it becomes difficult to see an image.

  In order to cope with such a problem, as described in Patent Document 2, a gyro sensor or the like is provided for each imaging unit, and the inclination of the photographed image is corrected according to the detection value of the gyro sensor, whereby the photographed image is not tilted. It is conceivable to do so.

  However, when the left and right two imaging units are separately installed on the vehicle body and a gyro sensor or the like is provided for each unit, the installation height of each imaging unit and the detection value of each gyro sensor or the like By this, there is a possibility that the left and right two captured images may be shifted. When the two left and right captured images are misaligned in this way, then, when combining the two right and left captured images to generate a panoramic image, a displacement occurs at a combining location or the like, and a disturbance occurs in the generated image. there is a possibility. In particular, since the composition point is at the rear center position, there is a possibility that the user may feel discomfort when viewing the panoramic image.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to be taken in from a left and right two image pickup units in a motorcycle camera apparatus provided with two right and left image pickup units for photographing the vehicle body obliquely rearward at the rear of the vehicle body. When a photographed image is corrected by a gyro sensor or the like and two photographed images are synthesized, a motorcycle capable of accurately and precisely generating a synthesized image by preventing a deviation or the like from occurring in a synthesized portion etc. It is to provide a camera device.

  In order to achieve the object, the present invention is a motorcycle camera apparatus provided with two left and right imaging units for photographing the diagonally backward of the vehicle body at the rear of the vehicle body of the motorcycle, the two imaging units being one It is provided in a case, and it is constituted so that one inclination sensor may be provided in the case, and correction may be carried out by one inclination information obtained from one inclination sensor for two photographed images taken by the two imaging units. Then, the two corrected images are synthesized to output as a generated image.

  More specifically, in the first aspect of the present invention, a camera apparatus for a motorcycle is provided with two left and right imaging units for photographing an oblique rear of the vehicle at the rear of the vehicle body of the motorcycle, and the left and right two imaging units The two left and right imaging units on the basis of tilt information of one housing provided in one housing, one tilt sensor installed inside the one housing, and one housing obtained from the one tilt sensor Image correction means for respectively correcting the two captured images taken from the image, image combining means for combining the two images corrected by the image correction means, and an image for outputting the image combined by the image combining means as a generated image And an output means.

  According to this configuration, two captured images are captured from the two left and right imaging units provided in one case, and the tilt information of the case is detected from one tilt sensor installed in the case to perform image correction. The means corrects the two captured images based on the tilt information, and the image combining means combines the corrected two captured images. Then, the image output means outputs the synthesized image as a generated image.

  That is, first, by providing the two left and right imaging units in one case, the positions of the imaging units are determined with certainty, and it is not necessary to consider the differences in the installation positions and heights of the imaging units. Also, in order to correct two captured images separately captured on the left and right based on the tilt information of one tilt sensor, the left and right captured images are always corrected with the same tilt information and are finally synthesized .

  Therefore, when capturing images from the two left and right imaging units, it is possible to capture two left and right captured images without considering the installation positions of the respective imaging units. In addition, since the two left and right photographed images are always corrected with the same tilt information, there is no occurrence of a deviation or the like at a combination location or the like when combining the two left and right photographed images.

  In addition, if one inclination sensor is what outputs one inclination information, an actual sensor unit may be comprised by multiple. For example, inclination information may be output by two elements, an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor. Further, inclination information may be output by calculation with one gyro sensor, or inclination information may be output by calculation with one acceleration sensor.

  Further, the generated image output from the image output means may be subsequently displayed by a display means such as a display panel installed on the motorcycle, or may simply be recorded in the recording means. Further, while displaying on the display panel, recording may be performed by the recording means.

  Furthermore, the term "image" used throughout this specification and the like is a concept that includes not only still images but also moving images.

  In the second invention, the casing is provided with a rear photographing unit for photographing the rear of the vehicle body, and an image of the rear of the vehicle body photographed by the rear photographing unit is output from the image output unit. It is said that.

  According to this configuration, the rear imaging unit is installed in the housing, and the rear imaging unit shoots the rear of the vehicle body, and the image output unit outputs an image of the rear of the vehicle body.

  Therefore, it is possible to output from the image output means aside from the generated image which is synthesized and output, the rear image of the vehicle body directly behind which does not require the synthesis.

  Therefore, it is a case where a generated image output by combining two images is disturbed due to a failure of a tilt sensor or the like, and a rear image directly behind which does not require combining can be separately output. It is possible to reliably prevent the problem that the output can not be output.

  In the third invention, the motorcycle is provided with a rearview mirror at a position above the steering wheel, and the housing is arranged such that the installation height of the imaging unit substantially matches the installation height of the rearview mirror. It is characterized by having set up.

  According to this configuration, the height at which the image of the imaging unit is captured substantially coincides with the height position of the rearview mirror.

  For this reason, since the viewpoint position of the image captured by the imaging unit substantially matches the viewpoint position of the rearview mirror, the rider who confirms the image while traveling makes the generated image almost the same as the image viewed from the rearview mirror Can be viewed without discomfort.

  Therefore, even if the rider visually recognizes the rearview mirror and visually recognizes the generated image, the rider can immediately confirm the rear of the vehicle body without feeling any discomfort.

  In a fourth aspect of the invention, the housing is installed such that the center in the width direction of the housing and the center in the vehicle width direction of the motorcycle coincide with each other.

  According to this configuration, the housing is set so that the center in the width direction of the housing coincides with the center in the vehicle width direction of the motorcycle. Therefore, the inclination sensor and the inclination state of the motorcycle can be assured. Can be matched. In addition, when the motorcycle turns and the case is inclined, the vertical movement amount of the left and right ends of the case becomes the same at the left and right, so that the image capturing unit can be matched on the left and right it can.

  Therefore, since the inclination angle of the motorcycle can be detected more accurately, correction by the correction means of the photographed image can also be accurately performed, and the image capturing and the like can be made to coincide with each other. It is possible to visually recognize the composite image without feeling discomfort even if the captured images of are combined.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when capturing images from the two left and right imaging units, it is possible to capture the two left and right captured images without considering the installation positions of the respective imaging units. In addition, since the two left and right photographed images are always corrected with the same tilt information, there is no occurrence of a deviation or the like at a combination location or the like when combining the two left and right photographed images.

  Therefore, in a motorcycle camera apparatus provided with two left and right shooting units for shooting the vehicle body obliquely rearward at the rear of the vehicle body, the shot images captured from the left and right two shooting units are corrected with tilt information to combine the two shot images. In this case, it is possible to make the generated composite image accurate and accurate without causing a displacement or the like in the composite portion or the like.

FIG. 1 is an overall side view of a motorcycle mounted with a camera device for a motorcycle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall plan view of a motorcycle in a state in which the camera device of Embodiment 1 is mounted. FIG. 2 is a rear view of a rear box of the camera device of Embodiment 1; FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the rear box of the camera device of Embodiment 1; FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of a camera device of Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a control flow diagram related to a rear box of the camera device of Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a multi-image displayed on a display monitor of the camera device of Embodiment 1.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention, its applications, or its uses.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is an overall side view of a motorcycle equipped with a motorcycle camera apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an overall plan view of the motorcycle equipped with the motorcycle camera apparatus. FIG. 3 is a view of the rear box of the camera device for a motorcycle as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the rear box. 5 is a system block diagram of a motorcycle camera device, FIG. 6 is a control flowchart relating to the rear box of the motorcycle camera device, and FIG. 6 is displayed on a display monitor of the motorcycle camera device. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a multi image.

  First, the overall configuration of the motorcycle camera device T of the present embodiment and the arrangement positions of the respective elements will be described using FIGS. 1 and 2. The camera device T for a motorcycle according to the present embodiment includes a front box 1 installed at the front end of the motorcycle M, a rear box 2 installed at the rear end of the motorcycle B, and a front side position of the fuel tank Ma. The display monitor 3 installed and the power supply hub unit 4 installed in the center of the motorcycle M are provided.

  The front box 1 described above is installed at the upper position of the head lamp Mc of the front cowl Mb of the motorcycle M, and the camera unit as the two left and right photographing units as an image of a landscape in front of the motorcycle M It is configured to capture.

  The above-mentioned rear box 2 is installed on the rear upper side of the tandem seat Md of the motorcycle M, and captures the scenery behind the vehicle body as an image by a camera unit as a total of three photographing units, as described later Is configured. The detailed structure will be described later.

  In addition, the installation position of the rear box 2 is set at substantially the same position as the height position of the rearview mirror Mf installed above the steering wheel Me of the motorcycle M, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. ing. By setting in this manner, the height for capturing the image of the camera unit of the rear box 2 can be made to substantially coincide with the height position of the rearview mirror Mf.

  The display monitor 3 described above is installed on the front upper side of the fuel tank Ma near the meter unit Mg in the center of the steering wheel Me, and is configured to display a photographed image or the like photographed by the rear box 2 or the like. . In this embodiment, the display monitor 3 is set separately from the meter unit Mg. However, a liquid crystal panel or the like may be provided in the meter unit Mg and integrally provided in the meter unit Mg.

  The aforementioned power supply hub unit 4 is installed under the rider seat Mh at the center of the motorcycle M, receives power supply from the battery Bt, and supplies power to the front box 1, rear box 2 and display monitor 3 It is configured to distribute and supply information and to exchange information such as image information with the front box 1, the rear box 2, and the display monitor 3.

  The components 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the camera device T are connected by various wirings for power supply and information transmission, though they are not shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.

  Next, the structure of the rear box 2 will be described in detail using FIGS. 3 and 4. The rear box 2 is formed of a thin and horizontally long box-shaped casing 20, and the side walls of the casing 20 are provided with the lenses of the three camera units.

  First, the central lens 21 of the central camera unit is installed at the center of the rear side wall 20 a of the casing 20. The right lens 22 of the right camera unit is installed on the right side wall 20b of the casing 20, and the left lens 23 of the left camera unit is installed on the left side wall 20c of the casing 20. A mounting seat S is provided on the bottom wall 20d of the casing 20.

  Among these, as shown in FIG. 4, the central lens 21 is configured of a wide-angle lens having a shooting angle of view of about 180 °, and is installed so as to be able to shoot at an angle of view centered on the rear center of the vehicle body The hatched area indicated by C is the area of the shooting angle of view).

  The right lens 22 is also configured as a wide-angle lens having a shooting angle of view of about 180 °, and is installed so as to be able to shoot the right side of the vehicle body. However, since the right side wall 20b installed as shown in FIG. 4 is inclined slightly backward (about 15 °), it is installed so that it can be photographed at an angle of view centered on the diagonally right rear position. (The dot hatching in A is the area of the shooting angle of view).

  The left lens 23 is also configured as a wide-angle lens having a shooting angle of view of about 180 °, and is installed so as to be able to shoot the left side of the vehicle body. In addition, since the left side wall 20c installed as shown in FIG. 4 is slightly inclined backward (about 15 °) as shown in FIG. 4, the left lens 23 can also be photographed at an angle of view centered on the left oblique rear position (The dotted hatching of B is the area of the shooting angle of view).

  Thus, the installation position of each of the lenses 21, 22, and 23 is determined by the installation of the three lenses of the central lens 21, the right lens 22, and the left lens 23 with respect to the rear box 2, and each lens In the case where the photographed images are combined and synthesized at 21, 22, and 23, it is possible to generate a synthesized image without taking into consideration a deviation or the like of an installation error of the installation position.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the three lenses 21, 22 and 23 have shooting angle of view of about 180 °, respectively, and thus assuming that the respective lenses 21, 22 and 23 are installed on different side walls of the casing 2 Also, it is possible to shoot a part of the rear of the vehicle in an overlapping manner.

  Further, inside the casing 20 of the rear box 2, image sensors corresponding to the respective lenses 21, 22, 23 are installed as described later. The image sensor is configured to convert optical image information into electronic image information.

  Further, inside the casing 20 of the rear box 2, a plurality of ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits: integrated circuits for specific applications) for performing arithmetic processing of a photographed image are also installed.

  Each of the lens units 21, 22, and 23 and the image sensor and the ASIC constitute each camera unit.

  Furthermore, inside the casing 20 of the rear box 2, as described later, an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, which are inclination sensors for detecting the inclination of the rear box 2, are installed. The acceleration sensor is configured to determine in what direction the rear box 2 is in the direction of gravity, and the gyro sensor is configured to detect how fast the rear box 2 is rotating. Then, it is configured to detect how much the rear box is inclined based on the detection information of the acceleration sensor and the gyro sensor.

  The rear box 2 is installed at the rear end of the motorcycle M such that the widthwise center Kp of the casing 20 coincides with the vehicle width direction center Mp of the motorcycle M, as shown in FIG. There is. Since it installs in this way, the inclination of an inclination sensor and the inclination state of the two-wheeled motor vehicle M can be made to correspond reliably.

  In addition, although not shown, the rear box 2 is provided with various parts constituting a camera unit.

  Next, a system configuration of the camera device for a motorcycle according to the present embodiment will be described with a system block diagram of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the right lens 11 and the left lens 12 are installed in the front box 1, and the front of the vehicle body is photographed by the respective lenses 11 and 12. Each of the lenses 11 and 12 is formed of a zoom lens, and can freely switch the photographing angle of view from enlargement to reduction (wide angle to telephoto). Further, image sensors 13 and 14 are connected to the lenses 11 and 12, respectively. The image sensors 13 and 14 are configured to convert each optical imaging information as electronic imaging information.

  The image sensors 13 and 14 are connected to the ASIC (1) 15. The ASIC (1) 15 performs image processing such as HDR processing (High Dynamic Range Rendering) on the shooting information (image information) captured by each of the image sensors 13 and 14 to generate an appropriate forward image, It is made to output.

  In the first embodiment, one ASIC (1) 15 performs two image processes on the left and right, but two ASICs are set and two image processes on the left and right are performed for each ASIC. Also good.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the vehicle speed information of the motorcycle M is taken in by the vehicle speed sensor Vs and transmitted to the front box 1. This is to switch the zoom magnifications of the right lens 11 and the left lens 12 configured by the zoom lens according to the vehicle speed. For example, by moving the zoom magnification of the zoom lens in the decreasing direction (wide-angle direction) at low speeds, it is easy to check the surrounding situation, while at high speeds, the zoom magnification of the zoom lens is increased By moving it in the direction), it is possible to make it easy to identify far changes immediately.

  The vehicle speed information of the vehicle speed sensor Vs may be transmitted to the rear box 2 as indicated by a one-dot chain line. When the rear box 2 is thus transmitted, control according to the vehicle speed may be performed on the rear image.

  For example, the tilt control by the electronic gimbal described later may be stopped and the output may be output (recorded) in a state in which the image is inclined as it is below a predetermined vehicle speed. The fact that the vehicle tilts at low speeds is considered to be that the motorcycle has fallen, etc., and it is rather desirable to record the state of the falling accurately.

  In addition, an SD card (Secure Digital) 17 is connected to the output wiring 16 of the ASIC (1) 15, and when the rider or the like operates the recording SW 18 to select the recording mode, the output is made from the ASIC (1) 15. The front image of the motorcycle M is recorded on the SD card 17.

  Then, the output wiring 16 of the ASIC (1) 15 comes out of the front box 1 and is connected to the hub 41 of the power supply hub unit 4.

  A right lens 22, a left lens 23, and a central lens 21 are provided in the rear box 2, and the rear side of the vehicle body is photographed by the respective lenses 21, 22, and 23. These lenses 21, 22, and 23 are constituted by general wide-angle lenses, and as described above, can be photographed at an angle of view of about 180 °. Further, image sensors 24, 25, 26 are connected to the lenses 21, 22, 23 respectively. In the image sensors 24, 25 and 26, as described above, each piece of optical imaging information is converted as electronic imaging information.

  An ASIC (2) 27 is connected to the image sensors 25 and 26 of the right lens 22 and the left lens 23. In this ASIC (2) 27 as well as the ASIC (1) 15, image processing such as HDR processing is performed on the shooting information (image information) captured by each of the image sensors 25 and 26. The rear image is properly generated and output.

  Further, in the rear box 2, an inclination sensor 28 including an acceleration sensor 28a and a gyro sensor 28b is installed. As described above, the acceleration sensor 28a and the gyro sensor 28b determine the direction of the rear box 2 by the acceleration sensor 28a, and the rear box 2 is rotated at a speed by the gyro sensor 28b. The inclination of the rear box 2 is detected by detecting whether

  An inclination sensor 28 composed of the acceleration sensor 28a and the gyro sensor 28b is connected to the ASIC (3). The electronic gimbal switch 30 is connected to the ASIC (3) 29. When the rider or the like operates the electronic gimbal switch 30 so that the operation is turned on, the image tilt correction is performed, and the gimbal function (function of maintaining the horizontal state of the image) is exhibited.

  The ASIC (3) 29 is connected to the ASIC (2) 27 so as to process the left and right diagonal rear images output from the ASIC (2) 27. Specifically, when the left and right diagonally rear images are inclined by the inclination of the rear box 2, the inclination of the image is corrected based on inclination information from the inclination sensor. The inclination correction control will be described later.

  The ASIC (3) 29 is also configured to combine the left and right diagonally rear images in the left and right direction to generate a panoramic image.

  On the other hand, an ASIC (4) 31 is connected to the image sensor 24 of the central lens 21. Like the ASIC (2) 27, this ASIC (4) 31 performs image processing such as HDR processing on the shooting information (image information) captured by the image sensor 24 and obtains an appropriate image of the rear center of the motorcycle M It is generated.

  Then, the ASIC (4) 31 is further connected to the ASIC (3) 29 and adds a rear center image subjected to image processing to the left and right diagonal rear images and panoramic images output from the ASIC (3) 29. To generate multi-image.

  Then, the SD card 33 is connected to the output wiring 32 of the ASIC (4) 31, and when the recording SW 34 is operated to select the recording mode, the image output from the ASIC (4) 31 is SD The card 33 is configured to be recorded.

  The power supply hub unit 4 includes a power supply circuit 42 and a hub 41. The power supply circuit 42 supplies power from the motorcycle battery Bt to the front box 1, the rear box 2, and the hub 41. It is composed of Further, the hub 41 receives the output image information from the ASIC (1) 15 of the front box 1 and the output image information from the ASIC (4) 31 of the rear box 2 and displays these image information on the display monitor 3 And the motorcycle-side control unit Bc.

  The display monitor 3 is configured to display a multi-image and the like by the image information and the like sent from the hub 41.

  As described above, the system of the motorcycle camera device T according to the first embodiment is configured as described above.

  Next, a control flow of the motorcycle camera device T of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the control flow diagram of FIG. Here, a control flow particularly related to the rear box 2 will be described.

  First, in step S1, an image from the right rear side of the right lens 22 of the rear box 2 is taken into the image sensor 25. The right diagonal rear image is a landscape image of the area A shown in FIG.

  Next, at step S2, an image from the left rear side of the left lens 23 of the rear box 2 is taken into the image sensor 26. The right diagonal rear image is a landscape image of the area B shown in FIG.

  Next, in step S3, the image processing is performed in the ASIC (2) 27 with respect to the right oblique rear image and the left oblique rear image captured in S1 and S2. This image processing is image processing such as HDR processing as described above.

  Thereafter, at S4, the inclination sensor 28a and the gyro sensor 28b output an inclination signal of the rear box 2. Since the rear box 2 is similarly inclined when the vehicle is turned inward when the motorcycle M is turning, this inclination signal is output as a value such as an inclination angle based on the inclination of the rear box 2.

  Then, when the electronic cymbal SW 30 is actuated and the electronic gimbal signal is received in S5, the ASIC (3) 29 responds to the tilt signal output in S4 the right diagonal rear image and the left diagonal rear image. To correct. Specifically, when the motorcycle M is turning, two images of a right oblique rear image and a left oblique rear image, which are inclined by the inclination of the vehicle body, are respectively corrected based on one inclination signal.

  Then, in S6, the ASIC (3) 29 combines the two images in the left and right direction using the right oblique rear image and the left oblique rear image which have been subjected to the inclination correction, and a rear panoramic image of the rear of the vehicle body Generate

  It is desirable that the inclination signal output in S4 be output by accurately detecting the actual inclination of the vehicle body (rear box), but there may be some errors. Because even if it is the value of the error, since the right oblique backward image and the left oblique backward image to be corrected are always corrected with the same value (one value), the right oblique backward image is corrected in S6. This is because, even when the left diagonal rear image is synthesized, no disturbance occurs in the synthesized portion or the like.

  Temporarily, if it correct | amends with separate inclination signals, a difference will arise in this inclination signal and two images from which the degree of inclination correction differs will be synthesize | combined by right and left. When images with different degrees of inclination correction are combined in this way, there is a risk that distortion will occur in the vicinity of the combined portion of the rear panoramic image, or a horizontal reference line extending in the horizontal direction will also have bending points at the combined portion. There is a risk of

  In the first embodiment, the right diagonal rear image and the left diagonal rear image to be corrected are always corrected with the same value (one value) so as to prevent such a problem.

  Then, at S7, the rear center image is taken into the image sensor 24 from the center lens 21 of the rear box 2. The right diagonal rear image is a landscape image of the area C shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, in S8, the rear center image is subjected to image processing by the ASIC (4) 31. This image processing is image processing such as the above-described HDR processing.

  Then, in S9, the right oblique rear image and the left oblique rear image corrected with the ASIC (3) 29 in ASIC (4) 31, the rear panoramic image combined with it, and the rear central image subjected to image processing, A multi-image is generated with a total of four images.

  Then, in S10, when the video recording SW 34 is operated and the video recording signal is received, the multi-image generated in S9 is recorded in the SD card 33. That is, images of the rear of the vehicle body in a plurality of viewing directions are stored in the SD card 33 as multi-images.

  Finally, in S11, the generated multi-image is output to the display monitor 3 and the motorcycle control unit Bc via the hub 41.

  The camera device T for a motorcycle according to the first embodiment is controlled by such a series of control flows. The control flow associated with the front box 1 is not directly related to the present invention and will not be described in detail.

  An example of display of a multi-screen or the like which is controlled in this manner and output to the display monitor 3 is an image 300 of the screen shown in FIG.

  In the image 300 of this screen, the image 301 displayed as “Front” in the upper center is the front image output from the ASIC (1) of the front box. This is an image of almost the same scenery as the scenery seen by the rider. According to this image, it can be seen that a passenger car is traveling in front of the motorcycle M.

  An image 302 displayed as “Panorama” below it is a rear panoramic image output from the rear box 2. This is an image in which the rear of the motorcycle M is displayed as a panoramic image from left to right and is an image that can not be viewed normally by the rider without a look back. According to this image, it can be seen that while two men are walking on the sidewalk in the rear of the motorcycle M, no passenger car or the like is traveling in the rear.

  In addition, this image 302 is displayed in a state in which the photographed image is inverted so that a gap does not occur with the scenery viewed by the rider with the rearview mirror Mf, and the rider does not feel discomfort while riding .

  In addition, although the rear panoramic image 302 is an image in which the right oblique rear image and the left oblique rear image are synthesized as described above, a synthesis location extending in the vertical direction at the center position is also synthesized without any disturbance.

  Then, on the lowermost side, three images are displayed as "Left" from the left, "Rear" in the center, and "Right" on the right. The image 303 displayed as "Left" is a left diagonal rear image, the image 304 displayed as "Rear" is a rear center image, and the image 305 displayed as "Right" is a right diagonal rear image It is. These three images 303, 304, and 305 are images taken at a wide angle, and adjacent images are displayed with overlapping portions.

  Similar to the rear panoramic image 302, these three images 303, 304, and 305 are also displayed in a state in which the captured image is inverted so that the rider does not feel discomfort while riding.

  Then, as to the left diagonal rear image 303 of “Left” and the right diagonal rear image 305 of “Right” among the three images, as described above, the tilt signal is generated when the electronic cymbal SW 30 is operated. It is corrected according to For this reason, even when the vehicle body of the motorcycle M leans, the display is maintained maintaining the horizontal state.

  On the other hand, since the rear central image 304 of "Rear" is not corrected according to the inclination signal even when the electronic cymbal SW 30 is operated, when the vehicle body of the motorcycle M is inclined, the display is inclined as it is Be done.

  As described above, by not performing the inclination correction on the rear central image 304 of “Rear”, it is possible to give a sense of presence on the motorcycle M when confirming an image (video) later. In addition, since image processing such as tilt correction is not performed, the actual tilt of the motorcycle M can also be recorded as it is when verifying an image after an accident, so that it is recorded as an image with the highest credit rating. Can.

  Thus, since the first embodiment is configured, the following effects can be achieved.

  First, in the first embodiment, two right and left camera units (22, 23) are provided on the right side wall 20b and the left side wall 20c of the casing 20 of the rear box 2, and the acceleration sensor 28a and the gyro sensor are provided in the rear box 20. 28b is provided with one inclination sensor 28, and based on the inclination information of one rear box 2 obtained from the inclination sensor 28, an image photographed by the two left and right camera units (22, 23), that is, left oblique The rear image and the right diagonal rear image are corrected for inclination by the ASIC (3) 29, and the two images whose inclination is corrected by the ASIC (3) 29 are synthesized to generate a rear panoramic image. Then, the rear panoramic image is configured to be output by the ASIC (4) to the bike control unit Bc via the SD card 33, the display monitor 3, and the hub 41.

  Thus, by first providing the two left and right camera units (22, 23) in one casing 20, the positions of the respective camera units (22, 23) can be determined with certainty, so that each camera unit (22, 23) There is no need to consider differences in the installation position and height of the

  In addition, since the two captured images captured separately on the left and right, that is, the left diagonal rear image and the right diagonal rear image, are corrected based on the tilt information of one tilt sensor 28, the left and right captured images are always corrected with the same tilt information. It will be finally synthesized.

  Therefore, when capturing images from the two left and right camera units (22, 23), it is possible to capture the two left and right captured images without considering the installation position of each camera unit (22, 23). In addition, since the two left and right photographed images are always corrected with the same tilt information, there is no occurrence of a deviation or the like at a combination location or the like when combining the two left and right photographed images.

  Therefore, in the motorcycle camera apparatus T provided with a camera unit (22, 23) for photographing the rear of the vehicle body at the rear of the vehicle body, the photographed image captured from the two camera units (22, 23) on the left and right is corrected with inclination information. When combining two captured images, it is possible to make the combined image generated accurately and precisely without causing a shift or the like in the combined part or the like.

  In the first embodiment, although the inclination sensor 28 is configured by the acceleration sensor 28a and the gyro sensor 28b, the inclination sensor is not limited to this, and for example, one gyro sensor may output inclination information by calculation. Alternatively, inclination information may be output by calculation with one acceleration sensor.

  Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a central camera unit (central lens 21) for photographing directly behind the vehicle body is provided at the center of the rear side wall 20a of the casing 20 of the rear box 2 and photographed with this central camera unit (21). The image directly behind the vehicle body is configured to be output by the ASIC (4) to the bike control unit Bc via the SD card 17, the display monitor 3, and the hub 41.

  In this way, it is possible to output a rear image directly behind the vehicle body that does not require synthesis separately from the rear panoramic image that is synthesized and output.

  Therefore, even if the backward panoramic image output by combining the left and right images is disturbed due to a failure of the tilt sensor 28 or the like, an image directly behind which does not require combining can be separately output. It is possible to reliably prevent the problem that output can not be performed. In particular, since this rear image is not subjected to image processing such as inclination correction, the actual inclination of the motorcycle M can be recorded as it is when verifying the image after an accident, so it is recorded as the highest reliability image Can be

  Moreover, in this Embodiment 1, the rear box 2 is installed so as to substantially coincide with the installation height of the rearview mirror Mf.

  As a result, the height at which the image of the camera unit (21, 22, 23) of the rear box 2 is captured substantially coincides with the height position of the rearview mirror Mf.

  For this reason, the viewpoint position of the image captured by the camera unit (21, 22, 23) of the rear box 2 substantially matches the viewpoint position of the rearview mirror Mf, so the rider for confirming the image while traveling is output The image can be viewed without any sense of incongruity as the image viewed from the rearview mirror Mf.

  Therefore, even if the rider visually recognizes the output image while visually recognizing the rearview mirror Mf while traveling, the rider can immediately confirm the rear of the vehicle body without feeling any discomfort between the two.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the casing 20 of the rear box 2 is installed such that the widthwise center Kp of the casing 20 of the rear box 2 and the vehicle widthwise center Mp of the motorcycle M coincide (see FIG. 4). ing.

  Thereby, the inclination of the inclination sensor 28 installed in the casing 20 of the rear box 2 and the inclination state of the motorcycle M can be made to coincide with each other reliably. In addition, when the motorcycle M turns and the rear box 2 is inclined, the vertical movement amounts of the left and right ends of the casing 20 become the same at the left and right, so capturing the images of the left and right camera units (22, 23) Etc. can be matched on the left and right.

  Therefore, since the tilt angle of the motorcycle M can be detected more accurately, it is possible to correct the tilt of the photographed image accurately, and the image capture etc. are matched by the left and right camera units (22, 23). Therefore, even if the captured left and right captured images are combined, the combined image can be generated without a sense of discomfort.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention has been described above in the first embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the first embodiment.

  In the first embodiment, the motorcycle camera T including the front box 1 has been described. However, the motorcycle camera T may be configured with only the rear box 2 without the front box 1.

  Further, the effects of the present invention can be exhibited if at least the rear box 2 is provided with two left and right camera units (lenses) (22, 23). It may be configured by two left and right camera units (22, 23).

  Otherwise, the structure may be changed or added without departing from the scope of the invention.

  As described above, the camera device for a motorcycle according to the present invention includes a camera unit installed at the rear of the vehicle body of the motorcycle, and can automatically perform inclination correction in consideration of the inclination of the vehicle body at the time of turning. It is useful in camera devices for two-wheeled vehicles.

T: Camera device for a motorcycle M: Motorcycle 2: Rear box 20: Casing (housing)
21 Center lens 22 Right lens 23 Left lens 28 Inclination sensor 28a Acceleration sensor 28b Gyro sensor 29 ASIC (3)
30 ... ASIC (4)

Claims (4)

A camera apparatus for a motorcycle comprising two imaging units at the rear of the vehicle body for photographing the vehicle body obliquely rearward,
One casing for providing the two left and right imaging units at the left and right positions;
One tilt sensor installed inside the one housing;
An image correction unit configured to respectively correct two captured images captured from the two left and right imaging units based on the tilt information of one casing acquired from the one tilt sensor;
Image combining means for combining the two images corrected by the image correction means;
An image output unit that outputs an image synthesized by the image synthesis unit as a generated image;
A camera device for a motorcycle, comprising: The rear imaging unit for photographing the rear of the vehicle body is provided in the casing, and an image of the rear of the vehicle body photographed by the rear imaging unit is output from the image output unit. Cameras for motorcycles. The motorcycle is provided with a rearview mirror at a position above the steering wheel,
The camera apparatus for a motorcycle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing is installed such that the installation height of the imaging unit substantially coincides with the installation height of the rearview mirror. The camera apparatus for a motorcycle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing is installed such that the center in the width direction of the housing coincides with the center in the vehicle width direction of the motorcycle.