JPH04173443A - On-vehicle confirmatory camera device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To heighten visibility in the surroundings by controlling the forward/ backward driving of movable mirrors so as to reflect the bilateral images of a lens on the mirror surface of the corresponding mirrors to let them reach an image pickup part, then switching the front and bilateral images of the lens to perform image pickup, and displaying it on an interior monitor. CONSTITUTION:In this on-vehicle confirmatory camera device, an unillustrated image pickup tube is disposed behind an optical lens 5, and in front of the lens 5, a pair of movable mirrors 6 are disposed with the respective mirror faces facing sidewards and in symmetry to the optical axis of the lens 5 so that the respective side end parts closer to the lens 5 are brought mutually in proximity. These movable mirrors 6 are to be movable between a position of advancing until the center part side ends thereof coming in contact with each other by the operation of a motor 14 through synchronous gears 7, 7, levers 8, 8 and the like and a position of receding backward so as not to interfere with an optical path to the lens 5 and to be out of the front view of the lens 5. An image injected to the lens 5 is inputted into an image pickup part and displayed on a monitor installed inside a vehicle.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Objective of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an on-vehicle confirmation camera device, and in particular, it captures images by switching between images in front of a lens and in the left and right directions, and displays the images on a monitor inside a vehicle. The present invention relates to a camera device that outputs data to a camera.

(Conventional technology) Traditionally, in large vehicles such as buses and racks, the fourth
As shown in the figure, a video camera 2 for imaging is installed at a high position at the front or rear of a vehicle 1, and images of areas that cannot be directly seen from the driver's seat are displayed on a monitor installed inside the vehicle to ensure safety. It is now possible to confirm.

However, such conventional camera devices are effective when simply backing up, but because the left and right areas are not within the field of view of the video camera, as shown in Figure 5, when moving from a narrow road 3 to a large street. 4, it was not possible to sufficiently confirm safety.

For this reason, many proposals have been made to swing (rotate) the camera left and right in order to widen the field of view of the video camera. required a drive mechanism. Incidentally, according to Daimler-Benz's accident investigation report, many collisions could be avoided if the driver recognized the danger one second earlier. However, it is difficult to move the video camera instantaneously, and this method is not preferred from the viewpoint of accident avoidance.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) In this way, conventional car-mounted cameras only functioned to ensure visibility in front of the lens, so they could not be used to check left and right safety, for example when exiting from an alley to a main street. I couldn't do it.

There have also been proposals to swing such a camera left and right so that it can view not only the front but also the left and right areas, but it requires a large motor to move a large video camera equipped with a waterproof mechanism. It was difficult to move instantly.

The present invention was made to solve these problems, and it is possible to switch between front and left and right images, output this to the in-vehicle monitor, and display it on the screen, and the switching mechanism is small. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an on-vehicle confirmation camera device that operates in an extremely short time and can be widely installed in everything from commercial vehicles to general passenger cars without adversely affecting the vehicle body design.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The in-vehicle confirmation camera device of the present invention includes an optical lens, converts the image focused by the lens into an electric signal, and converts the image into an electric signal to a monitor installed inside the vehicle. and an imaging section that outputs an output to the vehicle, the camera device being attached to the outer periphery of the vehicle, wherein the imaging section is located in front of the imaging section at an angle of approximately 45'' with respect to the optical axis of the lens. A pair of movable mirrors are arranged symmetrically with respect to the optical axis so that the side ends closer to each other are closer to each other. It is characterized by comprising a drive mechanism that brings one side end into contact with and stops on the optical axis, and that moves the two side ends apart from each other and retreats to a position where the optical axis is not blocked.

(Function) In the vehicle-mounted confirmation camera device of the present invention, when the pair of movable mirrors are moved back by the drive mechanism to a position where they do not block the optical axis of the optical lens, the image in front of the lens is condensed as is. The image reaches the imaging unit and is displayed on a monitor installed inside the vehicle. On the other hand, when the movable mirror pair moves forward along the optical axis by the drive mechanism and stops with the side end of each mirror closer to the imaging section in contact with the lens on the optical axis, , images from the left and right directions of the lens are reflected on the mirror surfaces of the corresponding mirrors and reach the imaging unit, so these images are displayed on a monitor screen that is divided into left and right halves with the center as the boundary, and the left and right sides are reversed, respectively. It will be displayed simultaneously as a video.

Since the operation of the drive mechanism that drives the movable mirror forward and backward can be controlled by the control mechanism, necessary images are taken and displayed on the monitor according to the driving situation of the vehicle. .

Further, in the camera device of the present invention, only the pair of small and lightweight mirrors are driven, and the other components are fixed, so a large drive mechanism is not required. Furthermore, since the mirror pair can be driven instantaneously, sufficient safety confirmation can be performed in a timely manner.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a top view schematically showing an embodiment of the vehicle-mounted confirmation camera device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

In these figures, reference numeral 5 indicates an optical lens, behind which an image pickup tube (not shown) is arranged. In addition, in front of the lens 5, a pair of movable mirrors 6 are arranged with respect to the optical axis of the lens 5 so that their respective mirror surfaces face sideways and their side ends closer to the lens 5 are close to each other. They are arranged symmetrically.

Further, the lower side ends (lower ends on the center side) of these mirrors 6 close to the lens 5 are respectively connected to two levers 8 that are directly connected to a pair of synchronous gears 7, and are linked to the rotation of the synchronous gears 7. The lens 5 then moves forward toward the front of the lens 5, and stops with the center end forming an angle of approximately 45'' with respect to the front axis of the lens 5 and in contact with each other on the optical axis. It is configured to retreat to a position where it does not obstruct the path of light entering the lens 5 while separating the ends.

Further, these mirrors 6 are fixed to both ends of a ring-shaped spring 9 at the upper end on the center side, and the spring 9
Due to the elastic force, the center part side ends are urged in the forward direction where they come into contact. Furthermore, the spring 9 has the function of reducing the gap between the mirrors 6 when the mirrors 6 move forward and holding the mirrors 6 so that they do not shake against vibrations of the vehicle body.

Furthermore, locking pieces 10 are provided protruding from the upper and lower outer ends of these mirrors 6, and these locking pieces 10
is attached to guide grooves 13 provided in the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12, and is configured to slide along the guide grooves 13. Here, the positions of the mirrors 6 indicated by broken lines in FIG. 1 indicate the case where each mirror 6 has moved forward to the position where its center side edges abut, and the solid lines indicate that the mirrors 6 are in contact with the lens 5.
The case is shown in which the lens 5 has retreated to the rear where it does not obstruct the optical path to the lens 5 and is out of the field of view in front of the lens 5.

Furthermore, the torque to the synchronous gear 7 is transmitted from the motor 14 through a worm 15 connected to its output shaft and a wheel with a clutch 16 in order, and a gear 17 is connected to one of the synchronous gears 7. There is. This gear 17 holds a board having a predetermined conductor pattern.
By sliding the fixed brush 19 on the pattern of this board, the rotational position of the synchronous gear 7, that is, the position of the mirror 6, is detected, and the position detection signal outputted from this detects the forward or reverse rotation of the motor 14. , stop, etc. are performed, and the mirror is configured to be driven forward, etc. to an appropriate position.

The entire mechanism is housed in an airtight and highly waterproof case, as shown below, and installed at an appropriate location outside the vehicle. That is, the lower bottom and rear portion of the lens 5 are each covered with an aluminum housing 19.
Both the upper plate 11 and the lower plate 12 are fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the aluminum housing 19. In addition, the front, top and both side surfaces of the case, which are the paths of light entering the lens 5, are each made up of a transparent member 20, and the peripheral edge of the transparent member 20 is fixed to the aluminum housing 19 via a rubber backing 21. It has an airtight and waterproof structure.

To explain the operation of the in-vehicle confirmation camera device of the embodiment configured as described above, the rotational torque transmitted from the motor 14 through the worm 15 connected to its output shaft and the clutch-equipped wheel 16 in turn causes the synchronous gear 7 rotates, and 6 pairs of movable mirrors move forward or backward in conjunction with this rotation. When the 6 pairs of mirrors are retracted to a position where they do not obstruct the optical path to the optical lens 5, the lens 5
The image of the front (front) of the is focused and input to the imaging unit,
The image is displayed on a monitor installed inside the vehicle. On the other hand, when the 6 pairs of mirrors move forward and stop with their central ends making contact with the optical axis at an angle of approximately 45'' with respect to the optical axis of the lens 5, Images in the left and right directions are reflected on the mirror surfaces of the corresponding mirrors 5 and are reflected on the lenses 5.
These images are displayed on the screen of a monitor, which is divided into left and right halves with the center as a boundary, as images with the left and right sides reversed.

Note that the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and may be configured as follows.

In other words, a light source that generates a large amount of infrared rays is provided in front of the optical lens 5, and a CCD with high sensitivity in the infrared region is used in the imaging section. is focused by lens 5 and displayed on the CCD.
It can be configured to receive With this configuration, it is possible to see far away clearly even when it is dark, such as at night, and it is easier to confirm safety.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a camera device main body 23 consisting of an imaging section, a pair of mirrors, and a drive mechanism is buried in the center of the bumper 22 at the front or rear of the vehicle, and optical lenses are installed at both ends of the bumper 22. 24 and by connecting them with an optical fiber 25 or the like, the light that is collected by the optical lens 24 and passed through the optical fiber 25 is reflected by a pair of mirrors as necessary before entering the imaging section. It can also be configured as In a camera device having such a structure, by adopting an appropriate lens configuration, it is possible to display images on both sides of the vehicle on a monitor screen without horizontally inverting the images.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above explanation, the in-vehicle confirmation camera device of the present invention uses a pair of small and lightweight mirrors,
In addition to the frontal image, a single device captures left and right side images,
These images can be instantly switched and displayed on the monitor as needed.

Therefore, by installing this device outside the vehicle, such as at the front or rear of the vehicle, it is possible to quickly and reliably check the safety of the left and right sides, for example, when exiting from an alley to a main street. Furthermore, depending on the purpose of use, it can be used, for example, to assist with rear blind spots, and at night, it can be used to check the front as a night vision that is better than the naked eye, and has a high preventive safety effect against traffic accidents.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a top view schematically showing an embodiment of the vehicle-mounted confirmation camera device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a top view showing another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a side view showing the installation state of a conventional vehicle-mounted confirmation camera device, and FIG.
It is also a top view. 5... Optical lens, 6... Movable mirror, 7... Synchronous gear, 9... Ring-shaped spring, 14... Motor, 17... Gear, 19... Aluminum housing, 20
...Transparent member, 23...Camera device main body, 25...
・Optical fiber. Applicant Toshiba Corporation Representative Patent Attorney Sasa Suyama −

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A camera device that is attached to the outer periphery of the vehicle and includes an optical lens and an imaging unit that converts the image focused by the lens into an electrical signal and outputs it to a monitor installed inside the vehicle. In front of the imaging unit, the lens is arranged symmetrically with respect to the optical axis such that it forms an angle of approximately 45° with respect to the optical axis of the lens and a side end closer to the imaging unit is close to the lens. The pair of movable mirrors and the pair of mirrors are moved forward along the optical axis while approaching each other, and the side ends closer to the imaging section are brought into contact with each other on the optical axis and stopped, and then separated from each other. and a drive mechanism for retracting the optical axis to a position where the optical axis is not blocked. (2) The vehicle-mounted confirmation camera device according to claim 1, wherein the optical lens and the imaging section are arranged apart from each other and are connected by an optical fiber. (3) The optical lens, the imaging unit, the pair of movable mirrors, and the drive mechanism are housed together in a waterproof and airtight case, and at least the front and side surfaces of the case are made of transparent members, and the incident light of the lens is The vehicle-mounted confirmation camera device according to claim 1, wherein an optical path is secured. (4) Equipped with an infrared lamp that irradiates the object to be imaged, and a charge-coupled device with high sensitivity in the infrared region (
An in-vehicle confirmation camera device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is equipped with a CCD (CCD).