JP4718347B2 - Vehicle driving support device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle driving support device that supports driving of a vehicle by photographing the periphery of the vehicle using a camera and displaying it on a screen.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a vehicle rearward visual recognition device in which a camera is installed on a door mirror, the rear side of the vehicle is photographed in a state in which the door mirror is stored, and displayed on a monitor installed in the vehicle interior (see Patent Document 1). .) By using this automotive rear view device, the amount of movement of the driver's line of sight can be reduced by storing the door mirror and displaying a captured image of the rear of the vehicle on a monitor when traveling at a high speed of 80 km / h, for example. Can do.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-953 (page 6-10, FIG. 1-7)

  By the way, the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above is provided only for photographing the rear of the vehicle, and there is a problem that the frequency of use is low and the configuration is wasteful. This device is used, for example, when traveling at a high speed of 80 km / h or higher, and is not used when traveling at a lower speed than that. Therefore, this apparatus can be used effectively when high-speed traveling is frequently performed, but it is hardly used for a driver (user) who hardly travels at high speed, and the configuration of the apparatus is wasted.

  The present invention was created in view of the above points, and the purpose of the present invention is to capture the rear of the vehicle and display it on the screen in the passenger compartment, increasing the frequency of use of the device and effectively using the device. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle driving support device capable of achieving the above.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a vehicle driving support apparatus according to the present invention includes a camera attached to a side surface of a vehicle, a traveling state detection unit that detects a traveling state of the vehicle, and a traveling detected by the traveling state detection unit. Depending on the state, the camera is set to one of a first direction for photographing the road surface around the vehicle and a second direction for photographing the rear of the vehicle, and the driver faces the front of the vehicle. Display means for displaying an image taken by a camera , and the traveling state detecting means is a traveling state of the vehicle during forward traveling as a traveling state of the vehicle. Whether the speed is less than or equal to a predetermined speed is detected. When the traveling speed is less than or equal to the predetermined speed, the camera is set in the first direction by the camera drive means, and when the speed is higher than the predetermined speed, the camera drive means Therefore the camera is set to the second orientation, a boundary of the predetermined speed, is performed by switching the shooting photographing the vehicle behind the road surface side of the vehicle. Because the direction of the camera for road surface photography installed on the side of the vehicle is changed to capture the rear of the vehicle, the same camera can be used for different purposes depending on the driving state of the vehicle. The image can be taken and displayed on the screen in the passenger compartment, and the frequency of use of the device can be increased to effectively use the device.
In addition, by switching between shooting on the road surface on the side of the vehicle and shooting behind the vehicle at a predetermined speed, the content captured by the camera is always displayed. Can be used.

  In addition, the camera described above is installed on a door mirror, and the camera driving means is preferably door mirror driving means for opening and closing the door mirror. Thus, the orientation of the camera can be changed using the door mirror opening / closing mechanism, and it is not necessary to add special driving means, so that the apparatus can be simplified.

  Further, the camera driving means described above sets the direction of the optical axis of the optical system of the camera to a first angle downward from the horizontal when shooting the road surface around the vehicle, and the camera drive means when shooting the rear of the vehicle. It is desirable to set the direction of the optical axis of the optical system to a second angle that is closer to the horizontal than the first angle. Specifically, the second angle described above is desirably a horizontal orientation parallel to the road surface. Thereby, it becomes possible to photograph the rear of the vehicle over a wide range when photographing the rear of the vehicle with a camera used for photographing the road surface.

  Further, it is desirable to further include road surface projection means for performing road surface projection based on the first image photographed by the camera described above and generating a second image projected on the road surface. As a result, it becomes possible to take a picture of the rear of the vehicle with the vehicle driving support device used to display an image of the road surface around the vehicle as viewed from above.

  Further, the second image is displayed on the display device when the above-described camera orientation is set to the first orientation, and the first image is displayed when the camera orientation is set to the second orientation. It is desirable to further include display switching means for displaying on the display device. Thereby, the images before and after the road surface projection can be selectively used according to the direction of the camera and displayed, and an image suitable for the application can be obtained.

  In addition, the above-described camera is provided with a wide-angle lens, and it is desirable that shooting by the camera is performed through the wide-angle lens. Thereby, the imaging range behind the vehicle can be expanded, and it becomes possible to confirm other vehicles and the like existing in a wider range than the case of confirming the rear using a door mirror in the display image.

  Hereinafter, a vehicle driving support apparatus according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a vehicle driving support apparatus according to an embodiment. A vehicle driving support apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes cameras 10a to 10d, captured image storage units 12a to 12d, a top view image conversion unit 20, a top view image storage unit 22, a display switching determination unit 30, an image composition unit 40, and a display. The processing unit 42, the display device 44, the vehicle speed detection unit 50, the door mirror 60, and the door mirror opening / closing drive unit 62 are configured.

  The cameras 10a to 10d photograph the surroundings of the host vehicle through a fisheye lens as a wide angle lens. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the installation positions of the four cameras 10a to 10d. The camera 10a is installed in the door mirror 60 on the right side of the vehicle 200 that is the host vehicle. A camera 10b is installed on the left door mirror 60. A camera 10c is installed in the rear trunk door. A camera 10d is installed in the vicinity of the front bumper. Each of these cameras 10a to 10d photographs the periphery of the vehicle 200 through a fisheye lens having a viewing angle of 180 degrees. Accordingly, a part of the shooting range of two adjacent cameras (for example, the camera 10a and the camera 10d) overlaps, and in this embodiment, the boundary position at the time of image composition in this overlapping region is variably set. By these cameras 10a to 10d, a horizontal side view image (first image) including the ground is obtained with respect to the vehicle 200. The side view image data output from each of the cameras 10a to 10d is stored in each of the captured image storage units 12a to 12d.

  Based on the side view images stored in each of the captured image storage units 12a to 12d, the top view image conversion unit 20 sets the viewpoint position above the vehicle and performs road surface projection processing to perform the top view image (second view). Image). The top view images corresponding to each of the cameras 10 a to 10 d generated by the top view image conversion unit 20 are stored in the top view image storage unit 22.

  By the way, in the vehicle driving assistance device 100 of the present embodiment, an operation for displaying an image obtained by photographing the road surface around the vehicle and projecting the road surface according to the traveling state of the vehicle, and an image obtained by photographing the rear of the vehicle are displayed. The operation to display is switched.

  The display switching determination unit 30 determines the timing for switching between the road surface display around the vehicle and the display behind the vehicle according to the traveling state of the vehicle. Specifically, the vehicle speed detection unit 50 detects the traveling speed of the vehicle, and the display switching determination unit 30 determines the switching timing based on the detection result. For example, 20 km / h is set as the predetermined speed, and when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed, the display switching determination unit 30 sends a road surface projection display instruction to instruct the display of the road surface projected image to the image composition unit 40. When the vehicle speed is higher than the predetermined speed, a rear display instruction for instructing display of a captured image behind the vehicle is sent to the image composition unit 40.

  When the road surface projection display instruction is input, the image composition unit 40 removes the overlapping areas of the four top view images corresponding to the four cameras 10a to 10d stored in the top view image storage unit 22, respectively. To synthesize. Further, when a rear display instruction is input, the image composition unit 40 is input to the top view image conversion unit 20 from the captured image storage units 12a and 12b corresponding to the cameras 10a and 10b attached to the left and right door mirrors 60. Two side view images before road surface projection processing are synthesized. For example, the side view image attached to the right door mirror 60 is displayed in the right half area of the display screen, and the side view image attached to the left door mirror 60 is displayed in the left half area of the display screen. Two side view images are combined. Each pixel data constituting the combined image is written in a VRAM (video RAM) in the display processing unit 42. The VRAM is a display memory, and a storage position and a display position are associated with each other. The display processing unit 42 reads the data stored in the VRAM and converts it into a predetermined format video signal (for example, an NTSC video signal). This video signal is output to the display device 44, and an image projected on the road surface is displayed on the screen. The display device 44 is configured by using, for example, a liquid crystal display device (LCD), and is installed at a vehicle interior position where the driver can easily see.

  The door mirror opening / closing drive unit 62 is for opening and closing the left and right door mirrors 60 based on the determination result by the display switching determination unit 30. When a road surface shooting display instruction is input from the display switching determination unit 30, the door mirror opening / closing drive unit 62 rotates a drive motor (not shown) in one direction to open the left and right door mirrors 60 (non-storage state). Set. Further, when a rear display instruction is input from the display switching determination unit 30, the door mirror opening / closing drive unit 62 rotates the drive motor in the opposite direction to set the left and right door mirrors 60 in the closed state (stored state).

  3 and 4 are diagrams showing the relationship between the open / closed state of the door mirror 60 and the shooting direction using the cameras 10a and 10b. When the door mirror 60 is in the open state, as shown in FIG. 3, the direction of the optical axis of the optical system of the camera 10a (or 10b) attached to a part of the door mirror 60 is a horizontal direction (arrow) parallel to the road surface. The mounting position of the camera 10a is set so as to make an angle (first angle) θ1 with respect to h). On the other hand, when the door mirror 60 is in the closed state, the direction of the optical axis of the optical system of the camera 10a (or 10b) attached to a part of the door mirror 60 is a horizontal direction (arrow h) parallel to the road surface rather than the angle θ1. The mounting position of the camera 10a is set so that the angle approaches the second angle. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the direction of the optical axis is set so as to be substantially parallel to the horizontal direction. Actually, the camera 10a (or 10b) is fixed to the door mirror 60, and the angle of the drive shaft when the door mirror 60 is rotationally driven by the door mirror opening / closing drive unit 62 is devised, so that such opening / closing is performed. Different optical axis orientations are set for the front and rear.

  The above-described vehicle speed detection unit 50 is the travel state detection unit, the display switching determination unit 30, the door mirror opening / closing drive unit 62 is the camera drive unit and door mirror drive unit, the display processing unit 42, the display device 44 is the display unit, and the top view image. The conversion unit 20 and the top view image storage unit 22 correspond to the road surface projection unit, and the display switching determination unit 30 corresponds to the display switching unit.

  The vehicle driving support apparatus of this embodiment has such a configuration, and the operation thereof will be described next. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure for opening and closing the door mirror according to the traveling state of the vehicle. When the vehicle speed is detected at predetermined time intervals by the vehicle speed detection unit 50 (step 100), the display switching determination unit 30 determines whether or not the detected vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed (step 101). For example, when the predetermined speed is set to 20 km / h and the vehicle speed is 20 km / h or less, an affirmative determination is made, and the door mirror 60 is opened by the door mirror opening / closing drive unit 62 (step 102). If the vehicle speed is higher than 20 km / h, a negative determination is made in the determination in step 101, and the door mirror 60 is closed by the door mirror opening / closing drive unit 62 (step 103). The opening / closing operation of the door mirror 60 in steps 102 and 103 is performed only when the opening / closing state is different from the previous opening / closing state, and the opening / closing state is maintained when the opening / closing state to be operated is already realized before that. The

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure for switching an image to be displayed according to the traveling state of the vehicle. The periphery of the vehicle 200 is photographed at predetermined time intervals by the cameras 10a to 10d (step 200). The side view images obtained by this photographing are stored in the photographed image storage units 12a to 12d.

  Next, the display switching determination unit 30 determines whether or not the detected vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed (step 201). The speed detection operation is common to step 100 in FIG. 5, and the detection result can be used in step 201. Further, since the determination operation in step 201 is also common to the determination operation in step 102 shown in FIG. 5, the determination result in step 101 may be used without performing the determination operation independently in step 201. When the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed (20 km / h), an affirmative determination is made in the determination of step 201. In this case, the top view image conversion unit 20 uses the side view images stored in the captured image storage units 12a to 12d (the four mirrors 10a to 10d are used to indicate the road surface around the vehicle because the door mirror 60 is open). A top view image is generated based on the captured side view image) (step 202). Thereafter, the image synthesis unit 40 synthesizes four top view images corresponding to the four cameras 10a to 10d (step 203), and the display processing unit 42 displays the synthesized road surface projected image on the display device 44. Is displayed on the screen (step 205).

  If the vehicle speed is higher than the predetermined speed, a negative determination is made in the determination of step 201. In this case, the image composition unit 40 captures the rear side of the vehicle using the two cameras 10a and 10b attached to the door mirror 60 (referred to as a side view image because the rear side of the vehicle is actually captured). Although the expression is not correct, the display processing unit 42 synthesizes a composite image (step 204). The display processing unit 42 combines the composite image with the expression of the side view image to indicate that it is not the top view image obtained by the road surface projection process. The image behind the vehicle is displayed on the screen of the display device 44 (step 205).

  Thus, in the vehicle driving support device 100 of the present embodiment, the direction of the road surface photographing cameras 10a and 10b installed on the side surfaces of the vehicle is changed to photograph the rear of the vehicle, and therefore the same cameras 10a and 10b. Can be used for different purposes according to the running state of the vehicle, the rear of the vehicle can be photographed and displayed on the screen in the passenger compartment, and the frequency of use of the device can be increased for effective use of the device Can do.

  The cameras 10 a and 10 b are installed on the door mirror 60, and their directions are changed by the camera opening / closing drive unit 62. Thereby, the direction of the cameras 10a and 10b can be changed using the opening / closing mechanism of the door mirror 60, and it is not necessary to add special driving means, so that the apparatus can be simplified.

  Further, the camera opening / closing drive unit 62 sets the direction of the optical axis of the optical system of the cameras 10a and 10b to a first angle downward from the horizontal when shooting the road surface around the vehicle, and shooting the rear of the vehicle. In addition, the direction of the optical axis of the optical system of the cameras 10a and 10b is set to a second angle closer to the horizontal than the first angle. Specifically, the second angle is set in a horizontal direction parallel to the road surface. As a result, when the rear of the vehicle is photographed by the cameras 10a and 10b used for photographing the road surface, the rear of the vehicle can be photographed over a wide range.

  In addition, by switching between shooting on the road surface on the side of the vehicle and shooting behind the vehicle at a predetermined speed, the contents shot by the cameras 10a and 10b are always displayed on the screen of the display device 44. It is possible to increase the frequency of use of the device and to effectively use the device.

  In addition, by selectively using the images before and after the road surface projection according to the orientations of the cameras 10a and 10b, it is possible to obtain an image suitable for the application. The cameras 10a, 10b, etc. are equipped with wide-angle lenses, and the photographing with the cameras 10a, 10b is performed through the wide-angle lenses, so that the photographing range behind the vehicle can be widened, compared with the case of confirming the rear using a door mirror. It becomes possible to confirm other vehicles and the like existing in a wide range on the display image.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation implementation is possible within the range of the summary of this invention. In the above-described embodiment, when the captured image of the rear of the vehicle is displayed, the side view image before being converted into the top view image is used. However, the top view image subjected to the road surface projection processing is used for the vehicle rear display. Alternatively, an image subjected to other image processing may be used for vehicle rear display.

  In the above-described embodiment, an image obtained by photographing the road surface around the vehicle is displayed when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the predetermined speed, and a photographed image behind the vehicle is displayed when the vehicle speed is higher than the predetermined speed. When the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than the first speed (for example, 20 km / h), an image of the road surface around the vehicle is displayed, and the second speed (for example, 80 km / h) faster than the first speed is displayed. Further, the captured image of the rear of the vehicle may be displayed when it is faster. In this way, by switching and displaying the vehicle side road surface and the rear of the vehicle at low speeds and high speeds, it is possible to increase the frequency of use of the apparatus and effectively use the apparatus.

  In the above-described embodiment, the cameras 10a and 10b are attached to the left and right door mirrors 60. However, the cameras 10a and 10b and a drive mechanism for changing the direction of the cameras 10a and 10b may be provided separately from the door mirror 60. In this case, the door mirror 60 may be omitted.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a vehicle driving support apparatus according to an embodiment. It is a figure which shows the installation position of four cameras. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the opening / closing state of a door mirror, and the imaging | photography direction using a camera. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the opening / closing state of a door mirror, and the imaging | photography direction using a camera. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure which opens and closes a door mirror according to the driving | running | working state of a vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure which switches the image used as a display object according to the driving | running | working state of a vehicle.

Explanation of symbols

10a to 10d Cameras 12a to 12d Captured image storage unit 20 Top view image conversion unit 22 Top view image storage unit 30 Display switching determination unit 40 Image composition unit 42 Display processing unit 44 Display device 50 Vehicle speed detection unit 60 Door mirror 62 Door mirror opening / closing drive unit 100 Vehicle driving support device

Claims (7)

A camera attached to the side of the vehicle;
Traveling state detecting means for detecting the traveling state of the vehicle;
Camera drive for setting the direction of the camera to one of a first direction for photographing the road surface around the vehicle and a second direction for photographing the rear of the vehicle according to the traveling state detected by the traveling state detecting means. Means,
Display means for displaying an image taken by the camera, installed at a position in the passenger compartment where the driver can see the vehicle facing forward,
The traveling state detecting means detects whether the traveling speed of the vehicle traveling forward is not more than a predetermined speed as the traveling state of the vehicle,
When the traveling speed is less than or equal to a predetermined speed, the camera driving means sets the camera in the first direction, and when the traveling speed becomes faster than a predetermined speed, the camera driving means sets the camera in the second direction. ,
A vehicle driving support device that switches between photographing on the road surface on the side of the vehicle and photographing on the rear side of the vehicle at the predetermined speed. In claim 1,
The camera is installed on a door mirror,
The vehicle driving support device, wherein the camera driving means is door mirror driving means for opening and closing the door mirror. In claim 1 or 2,
The camera drive means sets the direction of the optical axis of the optical system of the camera to a first angle downward from the horizontal when shooting the road surface around the vehicle, and the camera optical system when shooting the rear of the vehicle. A vehicle driving support apparatus characterized in that the direction of the optical axis of the system is set to a second angle that is closer to the horizontal than the first angle. In claim 3,
The vehicle driving support device according to claim 2, wherein the second angle is a horizontal direction parallel to the road surface. In any one of Claims 1-4,
A vehicle driving support device further comprising road surface projection means for performing road surface projection based on a first image photographed by the camera and generating a second image projected onto the road surface. In claim 5,
The second image is displayed on the display device when the camera orientation is set to the first orientation, and the first image is displayed when the camera orientation is set to the second orientation. The vehicle driving support device further comprising display switching means for displaying the image of the image on the display device. In claim 6,
The vehicle has a wide-angle lens, and photographing by the camera is performed through the wide-angle lens.

Images