Apparatus and method for monitoring the immediate surroundings of a vehicle

• US 20040119823A1
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Motonori, Takagi, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/004 outside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An apparatus for monitoring the immediate surroundings of a vehicle displays on a display within the vehicle cabin a captured image of the vehicle immediate surroundings captured by a camera mounted on a back door which can open and close. The apparatus determines whether the back door is open based on a signal output from a back door courtesy switch. If it is determined that the back door is open, a written notification that the back door is open is superimposed on the display showing the captured image from the camera. If it is determined that the back door is not open, the written notification is not shown.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring the immediate surroundings of a vehicle, comprising:

an image capturing device mounted on a vehicle door which can open and close;

a display that provides an occupant of the vehicle with a captured image of the vehicle immediate surroundings captured by the camera;

a door-open determining device which determines whether the vehicle door is not closed; and

a display controller which indicates on the display showing the captured image that the vehicle door is open when it has been detected by the door-open determining device that the vehicle door is not closed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display controller displays a written notification that the vehicle door is open superimposed on the captured image shown on the display.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display controller displays a graphic image simulating the vehicle door in an open state superimposed on the captured image shown on the display.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display controller gives an indication that the captured image shown on the display is improper.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the indication is given by at least one of turning off the image shown on the display, making the image shown on the display blink on and off, blurring the image shown on the display, and reducing the contrast of the image shown on the display.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a guide line of when an optical axis of the image capturing device is pointing in a desired direction is superimposed on the display showing the captured image.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle door is at least one of a back door and a side door.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the image capturing device includes a first camera which is mounted on the back door, and a second camera which is mounted on the side door; and

the display shows the images from both the first camera and the second camera simultaneously.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle door is a hood of a vehicle body front portion.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing device is a camera.

11. An apparatus for monitoring the immediate surroundings of a vehicle, comprising:

an image capturing device mounted on a vehicle door which can open and close;

a display for providing an occupant of the vehicle with a captured image of the vehicle immediate surroundings captured by the camera;

door-open determining means for determining whether the vehicle door is not closed; and

display controlling means for indicating on the display showing the captured image that the vehicle door is open when it has been detected by the door-open determining means that the vehicle door is not closed.

12. A method of monitoring the immediate surroundings of a vehicle in which is provided a image capturing device mounted on a vehicle door that can open and close, and in which is displayed, so as to be viewable by an occupant of the vehicle, a captured image of the immediate surroundings of the vehicle captured by the image capturing device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether the vehicle door is not closed; and

(b) when it is determined in step (a) that the vehicle door is not closed, showing that the vehicle door is open on the display showing the captured image.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein in step (b) a written notification that the vehicle door is open is displayed superimposed on the captured image on the display.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein in step (b) a graphic image simulating the vehicle door in an open state is displayed superimposed on the captured image on the display.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein in step (b) an indication that the captured image shown on the display is improper is given.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the indication is given by at least one of turning off the image shown on the display, making the image shown on the display blink on and off, blurring the image shown on the display, and reducing the contrast of the image shown on the display.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the captured image is an image capturing at least one of an area to the rear of the vehicle and an area to the side of the vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the captured image is an image capturing an area to the front of the vehicle.