JPH08127286A - Nighttime travel auxiliary device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To realize nighttime safe operation by projecting the light shadow of the front of a vehicle through a reflecting means on its front, enlarging/ reducing an image according to distance to an obstacle. CONSTITUTION: The image signal of the front of a vehicle photographed by means of an infrared camera 2 is delivered to a color converter 15 through an A/D converter 14, and is converted into a color signal according to the temperature of the photographed image and is delivered to a video converter 18. A video signal from the video converter 18 is converted into an image by means of a projector 4 and is projected to a reflection plate 5 and makes a virtual image 6 that can be seen by a driver. Ultrasonic waves issued from an ultrasonic transmitter/receiver 13 are reflected at an obstacle 3 and received. A received signal is delivered to a distance operator 22 through an A/D converter 19, and distance to the obstacle 3 is operated. Zoom device 24 enlarges/ reduces an image according to distance to the nearest obstacle, and conducts adjustment so that when viewed from the driver 8, the obstacle may be seen at a position that exists as if in reality.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a nighttime travel assistance device used for a vehicle that travels at night without stimulating external animals or people.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 10 shows a conventional device. An infrared camera 2 is installed in the vehicle 1 and its signal is sent to a monitor TV 32 provided in the front part of the driver 8.

An image of the front taken by the infrared camera 2 is
It is displayed on the monitor TV 32. The driver 8 was driving while watching the monitor TV 32.

[0004]

In the above conventional apparatus, the distance between the driver and the monitor TV is about 50 to 100 cm,
The distance to the statue was so short that it was difficult to drive because there was no sense of distance.

[0005]

The present invention employs the following means to solve the above-mentioned problems.

That is, as an apparatus for driving at night, an infrared camera mounted on the vehicle facing forward, a first A / D converter for receiving a video signal of the infrared camera, and an A
A color conversion means for converting the output of the A / D converter into a color signal, a video converter for converting the output of the same color conversion means into a video signal, and a forward direction provided in the driver's cab of the vehicle, A projector with a zoom device that receives the output of a video converter, a reflection means that is provided in the front part of the driver's cab of the vehicle, receives the projection light of the projector, and creates a virtual image visible to the driver of the vehicle in front of the vehicle, The ultrasonic transmitter / receiver mounted on the vehicle facing forward, the second A / D converter for receiving the echo signal of the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver, and the distance for receiving the output of the second A / D converter Distance calculation means for calculating and sending to the zoom device is provided.

[0007]

In the above invention, when the vehicle travels at night,
An infrared camera images the front and sends the video signal to the first A / D converter. The A / D converter A / D converts the input and sends it to the color conversion means. Similar to the conventional thermograph, the color converting means converts the color signal into a color signal so that a portion having a low temperature to a portion having a high temperature is displayed from blue to red according to the temperature of the image pickup and sends the color signal to the video converter. The video converter converts the input into a video signal for video display and sends the video signal to the projector with a zoom device.

The projector with a zoom device projects an image toward the reflecting means according to an input. The reflecting means creates a virtual image in front of the vehicle that is visible to the driver, that is, a light and shadow image of roads and obstacles in front of the vehicle.

On the other hand, ultrasonic waves are emitted forward from the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver, and reflected waves from obstacles and the like in front are received. The received echo signal is sent to the second A / D converter, A / D converted, and sent to the distance calculating means. The distance calculation means calculates the distance from the input to the obstacle and sends it to the zoom device. The zoom device enlarges or reduces the image according to the input, and adjusts it so that the driver can see the obstacle close to the actual obstacle.

As described above, the driver can safely drive at night while watching the light and shadow in front of the vehicle at night in front of the vehicle through the reflecting means.

[0011]

【Example】

(1) The first embodiment of the present invention described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an infrared camera 2 is attached to the front upper part of the vehicle 1 toward the front. A concave reflector 5 is provided in front of the driver 8. Further, the projector 4 with the zoom device 24 is attached to the upper part of the driver 8 toward the reflection plate 5.

The video signal of the infrared camera 2 is sent to the projector 4 with the zoom device 24 through the A / D converter 14, the color converter 15, and the video converter 18 in sequence. Color converter 1
A reference temperature setting device 16 and a temperature range setting device 17 are connected to 5.

An ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 13 is provided at the lower front of the vehicle 1.
Is provided. The echo signal of the ultrasonic transceiver 13 is A /
It is sent to the zoom device 24 through the D converter 19, the threshold device 20, and the distance calculator 22 in order.

The threshold device 20 includes a level setting device 21.
It is connected. A manual setting device 23 is connected to the distance calculator 22. The threshold device 20 and the distance calculator 22 are distance calculating means.

In the above, when the vehicle 1 travels at night, the infrared camera 2 images the front and sends the video signal to the first A / D converter 14. The A / D converter 14 A / D converts the input and sends it to the color converter 15. Color converter 15
In the same manner as in the conventional thermograph, the color signal is converted into a color signal so that the low temperature part to the high temperature part is displayed from blue to red according to the temperature of the image pickup, and the color signal is sent to the video converter 18 (see FIG. 4). The video converter 18 converts the input into a video signal so as to display an image and sends the video signal to the projector 4 with a zoom device. The projector 4 with the zoom device 24 projects an image toward the reflector 5 according to the input. As shown in FIG. 3, the reflector 5 forms a virtual image 6 seen by the driver 8 in front of the vehicle 1, that is, an image of light and shadow of a road or an obstacle in front of the vehicle.

[0016] In this case, the driver 8 is adjusted by the reference temperature setting unit 16 so that the image clarity, the reference temperature level before the conversion of the color changer 15, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, theta ₂
Can be changed to θ ₁ (see FIGS. 4A and 4B). Similarly, the temperature range can be changed from D ₂ to D ₁ by the temperature range setting device 17 (see FIG. 4).
(See (a) and (c)).

By performing this operation, it becomes possible to easily recognize the shape of an obstacle such as a rock or a tree having a temperature difference from the road surface.

On the other hand, ultrasonic waves are emitted forward from the ultrasonic transmitter / receiver 13 and reflected waves from the obstacle 3 and the like in front are received (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The received echo signal is sent to the second A / D converter 19, A / D converted, and sent to the distance calculator 22 via the threshold device 20. In the threshold device 20, as shown in FIG. 7, since the echo signal intensity from the area near the vehicle 1 contains much noise, the echo back time (the time from the emission time to the time when the echo signal R is received) is reduced. Masking is applied to those having a predetermined value T or less so as not to be extracted. Further, since it can be ignored if the obstacle does not hinder traveling, a predetermined threshold level value L is set, and an echo signal strength larger than this value is extracted, and this echo back time is extracted. Is output to the distance calculator 22. Since the echo intensity is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the distance, the threshold level value L is set in a logarithmic curve as shown in the figure. Also, this threshold level value L
Can be adjusted by the level setter 21, and the size of the obstacle to be detected can be specified by this operation.

The distance calculator 22 calculates the distance from the input to the nearest obstacle 3 and sends it to the zoom device 24. The zoom device 24 enlarges or reduces the image according to the input, and the driver 8
Adjust the obstacles so that they look like they actually exist. Further, when the change in zoom feels troublesome, the manual setting unit 23 can be used to manually set a predetermined zoom.

As described above, the driver 8 can safely drive at night without seeing the light and shadow of the obstacle 3 or the like in front of the vehicle 1 through the reflector 5 in front of the vehicle at night. Further, the projection light of the projector 4 does not leak to the outside of the vehicle, and the vehicle can be operated without stimulating animals or people outside.

(2) A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The reflector of the first embodiment is replaced with a Fresnel lens type reflector 5b. The operation is almost the same as that of the first embodiment.

Since the projection light of the projector is directed from the upper side to the lower side, the projection light does not leak to the outside as in the first embodiment.

(3) A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The reflecting plate of the first embodiment is replaced with a semitransparent reflecting plate 5a. If the outside becomes slightly bright, the transmitted light 10 from the outside goes straight, so that the real image 30 can be seen.

Since the projection light of the projector is directed from the upper side to the lower side, the projection light does not leak to the outside as in the first embodiment.

[0027]

According to the present invention as described above,
Since the light and shadow in front of the vehicle can be projected in front of the vehicle through the reflecting means, safe driving can be performed at night without stimulating external animals or people.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a mounting configuration diagram of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory view of the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory view of the same embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of the same embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory view of the same embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view of the same embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vehicle 2 Infrared Camera 3 Obstacle 4 Projector with Zoom Device 5, 5a, 5b Reflector 6 Virtual Image 8 Driver 13 Ultrasonic Transceiver 14, 19 A / D Converter 16 Reference Temperature Setting Device 17 Temperature Range Setting Device 18 Video Converter 20 Threshold device 21 Level setting device 22 Distance calculator 23 Manual setting device 24 Zoom device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An infrared camera mounted on a vehicle facing forward and a first A for receiving a video signal of the infrared camera.
A / D converter, a color conversion means for converting the output of the A / D converter into a color signal, a video converter for converting the output of the same color conversion means into a video signal, and a cab section of the vehicle. A projector with a zoom device, which is provided toward the front and receives the output of the video converter, and a virtual image which is provided to the front of the driver's cab of the vehicle and receives the projection light of the projector and which is visible to the driver of the vehicle. , A ultrasonic wave transmitter mounted on the vehicle facing forward, a second A / D converter for receiving an echo signal of the ultrasonic wave transmitter and the second A / D A nighttime travel assistance device comprising: a distance calculation means for receiving an output of the converter and calculating a distance and sending the distance to the zoom device.