JPH07329637A - Vehicle exterior monitor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To operate a vehicle safely by providing a changeover means to changeover an image information from an image pickup means, and a fixed image data from a fixed image information generating means, so as to display them on a display means, depending on the output from a light measuring means. CONSTITUTION:When a good image cannot be observed on a monitor, a system control circuit 5 gives an instruction of a character and its position displayed on the monitor, to a character signal generating circuit 9, as well as changing over a signal changeover switch 2. A letter signal MIX 8 composes a specific letter signal from a character signal generating circuit 9 and an artificial image signal from a synchronous signal separating circuit 7, and delivers it to an output AMP 3 through the signal changeover switch 2 which has been converted to the input terminal 2b side. And by the output from the output AMP 3, specific character image is output on the monitor.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle outside monitoring device, and more particularly to a vehicle outside monitoring device equipped with an image pickup device for the surrounding condition of a vehicle and capable of monitoring the surrounding condition inside the vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various technical means have been proposed in which a CCD monitoring camera equipped with an image pickup device such as a CCD is installed in the rear part of a vehicle and the rearward scenery is monitored by the CCD camera when the vehicle retreats. , Is effective in terms of safety. In such a technical means, the image pickup signal from the CCD camera is input to a display device such as a television monitor provided in the driver's seat to confirm the rear view.

In order to obtain a good image by this type of technical means, the brightness of the lens of the CCD camera and the CCD
(Solid-state image sensor) is required to have good sensitivity,
Further, it is necessary that the brightness of the illumination that illuminates the rear is sufficient.

[0004]

By the way, in the above technical means, in order to obtain a good image with a CCD camera using an ordinary CCD, it is generally assumed that the FNo. Of the lens is F1.4. An illuminance of 5 lx or more is required. However, in dark surroundings such as at night, with an average automobile backup lamp, the distance from which an illuminance of 5 lx or more can be obtained is within 3 m from the experimental results. Therefore, it is difficult to check obstacles, etc. that are more than 3 m behind the vehicle on the TV monitor installed inside the vehicle at night, and the safety of the operation of the vehicle is lacking.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a more safe vehicle exterior monitoring device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a first vehicle exterior monitoring device according to the present invention is an image capturing means for capturing an image of the outside of a vehicle, and image capturing information from the image capturing means provided inside the vehicle. Based on the output from the photometric means, the display means for displaying, the photometric means for measuring the brightness of the object to be imaged by the imaging means, the fixed video information generating means for generating predetermined fixed video information, and the imaging means based on the output from the photometric means. Switching means for switching the image pickup information from the fixed image information from the fixed image information generating means and outputting to the display means.

In order to achieve the above object, the second vehicle exterior monitoring device according to the present invention is the first vehicle exterior monitoring device, wherein when the photometric means detects that the brightness of the imaged information is below a certain level. The fixed image information from the fixed image information generating means is displayed.

To achieve the above object, a third vehicle exterior monitoring device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second vehicle exterior monitoring device, the fixed video information is information relating to a warning display. To do.

[0009]

In the first vehicle exterior monitoring apparatus according to the present invention, the image capturing means images the outside of the vehicle, and the display means provided in the vehicle displays the image capturing information from the image capturing means. In addition, the photometric means measures the brightness of the object to be imaged by the imaging means, and based on the output from the photometric means, the switching means uses the fixed image for generating the imaged information from the imaged means and the predetermined fixed image information. The fixed image information from the information generating means is switched and output to the display means.

A second vehicle exterior monitoring device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the first vehicle exterior monitoring device, when the photometric means detects that the brightness of the image pickup information is below a certain level, The fixed video information of is displayed.

In a third vehicle exterior monitoring device according to the present invention, in the first or second vehicle exterior monitoring device, the fixed video information displayed on the display means is information relating to a warning display.

[0012]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an outside-vehicle monitoring apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention.

The vehicle exterior monitoring device is a camera unit 1 having a lens 1a having an ordinary image pickup function and an image pickup device 1b, and is always adapted to observe the surroundings of the vehicle. The surroundings of the vehicle are not limited to the rear of the vehicle,
The full range around the vehicle is shown. The surrounding situation of the above vehicle is
An image is formed on the image pickup surface of the image pickup device 1b through the lens 1a, and the imaged surrounding condition of the vehicle is converted into an electric signal by the image pickup device 1b. Hereinafter, the vehicle exterior monitoring device will be described along the flow of signals.

The output signal from the image pickup device 1b is an image pickup signal processing circuit 1c provided in the camera unit section 1.
And is converted into an image pickup signal. One of the output terminals of the image pickup signal processing circuit 1c is connected to the input terminal 2a of the signal changeover switch 2 having two input terminals 2a and 2b. Then, normally, the output terminal of the signal changeover switch 2 is connected to the input terminal 2a side, and the image pickup signal from the image pickup signal processing circuit 1c is amplified by an output amplifier 3 (hereinafter referred to as output AMP3). , Is output to a monitor (not shown).

The monitor is a display device provided inside the vehicle such as a driver's seat, and normally displays the surrounding condition of the vehicle by an image pickup signal input from the camera unit section 1 described above. When the changeover switch 2 is switched to the input terminal 2b side, a character image by a character signal described later is displayed.

On the other hand, the image pickup signal from the image pickup signal processing circuit 1c is inputted to the luminance signal detection circuit 4. The brightness signal detection circuit 4 is adapted to always detect the brightness of the surrounding environment of the vehicle based on the image pickup signal, and the output signal from the brightness signal detection circuit 4 is sent to the system control circuit 5. It is like this.

Based on the output signal from the brightness signal detection circuit 4, the system control circuit 5 determines that the brightness of the surrounding environment of the vehicle has decreased and that a good image cannot be seen on the monitor. Has become. When a good image cannot be seen, the signal changeover switch 2 is driven to change over to the input terminal 2b side.

On the other hand, the vehicle exterior monitoring apparatus of this embodiment is provided with a known pseudo signal generating circuit 6, and the pseudo video signal from the pseudo signal generating circuit 6 is a sync signal separating circuit 7 (SYNC in the figure). It is supposed to be input to Spa).
In the sync signal separation circuit 7, a sync signal (hereinafter, SYNC
The signal) is separated and supplied to the character signal generation circuit 9, and the pseudo video signal is further sent to the character signal MIX8.

When a good image cannot be seen on the monitor, the system control circuit 5 switches the signal changeover switch 2 and, at the same time, causes the character signal generation circuit 9 to display the character to be displayed on the monitor and its character. It is supposed to command the position. The character signal generation circuit 9
Sends a predetermined character signal to the character signal MIX8 in accordance with the instruction. At this time, the position of the character on the monitor is determined from the SYNC signal from the sync signal separation circuit 7.

The character signal MIX8 combines a predetermined character signal from the character signal generation circuit 9 with a pseudo video signal from the sync signal separation circuit 7, and passes through the signal changeover switch 2 which is switched to the input terminal 2b side. It is designed to be sent to the output AMP3. Then, by the output from the output AMP3, a predetermined character image is output to the monitor.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of character images in the vehicle outside monitoring system of this embodiment.

Reference numeral 10 shown in this figure indicates the screen of the monitor, and in this embodiment, the monitor screen 10
The warning text for the driver is adopted as the character image displayed on. By displaying the warning message, the driver can recognize that the surroundings of the vehicle have become dark, and accordingly, the surroundings of the vehicle can be monitored by one's own perception without relying on the outside monitoring device. You can concentrate on it.

In this embodiment, the brightness of the surroundings of the vehicle is judged by the brightness information from the image pickup signal from the camera unit, so that the necessary range can be judged and executed when the brightness is more accurate. .

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the surroundings of the vehicle become dark and a good image cannot be displayed on the monitor installed in the vehicle, a camera unit for imaging the surroundings of the vehicle. Since the image from the vehicle is not displayed on the monitor and a warning is issued instead, the driver can concentrate on monitoring the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, which enables safer driving.

[Appendix] According to the embodiments of the present invention as described in detail above, the following configurations can be obtained. That is, (1) an on-vehicle camera for monitoring the surrounding condition of the vehicle, a monitor means mounted in the vehicle for displaying a video signal from the on-vehicle camera, and a photometric means for photometrically measuring the surrounding condition of the vehicle, Fixed video signal generating means for generating the fixed video signal, and a switching means for switching between the fixed video signal from the fixed video signal generating means and the video signal from the vehicle-mounted camera according to the output signal from the photometric means. A vehicle outside monitoring device.

(2) The vehicle exterior monitoring device according to (1), wherein the fixed video signal is a signal relating to a warning.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a more safe vehicle exterior monitoring device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle exterior monitoring device that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a character image in the vehicle exterior monitoring device of the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Camera unit part 1a ... Lens 1b ... Imaging element 1c ... Imaging signal processing circuit 2 ... Signal changeover switch 3 ... Output amplifier 4 ... Luminance signal detection circuit 5 ... System control circuit 6 ... Pseudo signal generation circuit 7 ... Synchronous signal separation circuit 8 ... Character signal MIX 9 ... Character signal generation circuit

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kamitakaaki 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup unit for picking up an image outside the vehicle, a display unit provided inside the vehicle for displaying image pickup information from the image pickup unit, and a photometric unit for measuring the luminance of an image pickup object of the image pickup unit. Based on the output from the fixed image information generating means for generating predetermined fixed image information and the photometric means, the image pickup information from the image pickup means and the fixed image information from the fixed image information generation means are switched to display means. And a switching means for outputting to the outside of the vehicle. 2. The vehicle exterior monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed image information from the fixed image information generating unit is displayed when the photometric unit detects that the brightness of the imaged information is below a certain level. . 3. The vehicle exterior monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed video information is information related to a warning display.