Image display control apparatus, image display system and display unit for displaying rear-view image based on eye point of a driver or angle of a display device

• US 10,112,539 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kameshima, Tamotsu, Hashimoto, Yoshikuni, Higo, Takayuki, Kajigai, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Geroleo, Francis G
• Application Number:
  US14/778,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20160288717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,688 Days
• Field of Search: 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/202 displaying a blind spot scene on the vehicle part responsible for the blind spot
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30268 Vehicle interior
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An image display control apparatus including an image generation portion generating an output image which resembles a map of a room mirror using at least a vehicle outside image based on at least one of a detection result of an eye point position acquisition portion detecting a position of an eye point of a driver and a detection result of an angle acquisition portion detecting an angle of a display device, and a display control portion controlling the display device so that the display device displays the output image generated by the image generation portion. The output image which is similar to the map of the room mirror may be displayed at the display device.

Claims

1. An image display control apparatus comprising:

an image generation portion that generates an output image including a first region and a second region, based on at least one of a detection result of an eye point position acquisition portion detecting a position of an eye point of a driver and a detection result of an angle acquisition portion detecting an angle of a display device, the first region including only a vehicle outside image showing a scene outside a vehicle, the second region including a vehicle inside image and the vehicle outside image aligned in position and superimposed with a preset transparency, the vehicle inside image showing a scene inside the vehicle;

a display control portion that controls the display device to display the output image generated by the image generation portion, the display device having a display screen covered by a half mirror; and

a luminance change portion that locally increases a luminance of the first region on the display device or a luminance value of the first region of the output image in a range such that the first region on the half mirror is locally placed in a fully transmissive state, in accordance with an increase in a brightness of a vehicle interior detected by a brightness detection portion, such that the first region locally maintains the fully transmissive state,

wherein the first region corresponds to a region inside a window frame in the vehicle inside image and the second region corresponds to a region other than the first region outside the window frame, and

wherein the second region is placed in a half-transmissive state or a total reflection state.

2. The image display control apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an imaging range control portion that controls an imaging portion to change an imaging range on a basis of at least one of the detection result of the eye point position acquisition portion, the imaging portion that captures the vehicle outside image.

3. The image display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image generation portion changes a size of an image of an object included in the output image depending on a position of the object detected by an object detection portion detecting the object at a vehicle exterior.

4. The image display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display control portion controls the display device to display the output image with a luminance with which the half mirror is in a fully transmissive state.

5. The image display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image generation portion generates the output image showing a scene of a vehicle exterior,

the display control portion controls the display device to display the output image with a luminance with which the half mirror is in a half transmissive state.

6. The image display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the luminance change portion increases a luminance of the display device or a luminance value of the output image in a range such that the half mirror is maintained in one of a fully transmissive state and a half transmissive state, in accordance with an increase in the brightness of the vehicle interior detected by the brightness detection portion.

7. The image display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image generation portion generates the output image corresponding to a region of a window of a vehicle within a map of the half mirror.

8. The image display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display control portion is configured to control the display device so that at least a fully transmissive state of the half mirror and a half transmissive state of the half mirror are switchable.

9. The image display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first region is locally placed in a fully transmissive state, such that the half mirror is not placed in a half-transmissive state.

10. The image display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the luminance of the second region is increased from a half transmission state to a total reflection state as the brightness in the vehicle interior increases.

11. The image display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the luminance of the first region is greater than the luminance of the second region.

12. The image display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when a passenger or an object overlaps with the window frame, the image generation portion sets the first region to a region of the output image excluding the passenger or the object.

13. An image display system comprising:

an image display control apparatus including;

an image generation portion that generates an output image including a first region and a second region, based on at least one of a detection result of an eye point position acquisition portion detecting a position of an eye point of a driver and a detection result of an angle acquisition portion detecting an angle of a display device, the first region including only a vehicle outside image showing a scene outside a vehicle, the second region including a vehicle inside image and the vehicle outside image aligned in position and superimposed with a preset transparency, the vehicle inside image showing a scene inside the vehicle;

a display control portion the controls the display device to display the output image generated by the image generation portion, the display device having a display screen covered by a half mirror; and

a luminance change portion that locally increases a luminance of the first region on the display device or a luminance value of the first region of the output image in a range such that the first region on the half mirror is locally placed in a fully transmissive state, in accordance with an increase in a brightness of a vehicle interior detected by a brightness detection portion, such that the first region locally maintains the fully transmissive state, and

an imaging portion that captures a scene inside or outside a vehicle,

wherein the first region corresponds to a region inside a window frame in the vehicle inside image and the second region corresponds to a region other than the first region outside the window frame, and

wherein the second region is placed in a half-transmissive state or a total reflection state.

14. A display unit comprising:

a display device including;

an image generation portion that generates an output image including a first region and a second region, based on at least one of a detection result of an eye point position acquisition portion detecting a position of an eye point of a driver and a detection result of an angle acquisition portion detecting an angle of a display device, the first region including only a vehicle outside image showing a scene outside a vehicle, the second region including a vehicle inside image and the vehicle outside image aligned in position and superimposed with a preset transparency, the vehicle inside image showing a scene inside the vehicle;

a display control portion the controls the display device to display the output image generated by the image generation portion, the display device having a display screen covered by a half mirror; and

a luminance change portion that locally increases a luminance of the first region on the display device or a luminance value of the first region of the output image in a range such that the first region on the half mirror is locally placed in a fully transmissive state, in accordance with an increase in a brightness of a vehicle interior detected by a brightness detection portion, such that the first region locally maintains the fully transmissive state, and

a half mirror that covers a display screen of the display device,

wherein the first region corresponds to a region inside a window frame in the vehicle inside image and the second region corresponds to a region other than the first region outside the window frame, and

wherein the second region is placed in a half-transmissive state or a total reflection state.