Obstacle detection device

• US 20040201674A1
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Hideto, Kitano, Toyoaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,084,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An obstacle detection device includes: a hyperboloidal mirror contained near a tip of a pole mounted at the corner of a vehicle; an image pickup unit for picking up an image shown in the hyperboloidal mirror; a signal processing circuit that performs an image signal processing for allowing easy viewability of the image picked up by the image pickup unit; and a display unit that is mounted in the vehicle compartment of the vehicle and displays the image signal processed by the signal processing circuit.

Claims

1. An obstacle detection device comprising:

a hyperboloidal mirror which is contained near a tip of a pole mounted at a corner of a vehicle;

an image pickup unit which picks up an image shown in the hyperboloidal mirror;

a signal processing unit that performs an image signal processing for allowing easy viewability of the image picked up by the image pickup unit; and

a display unit that is mounted in a vehicle compartment of the vehicle and displays an image signal processed by the signal processing unit.

2. The obstacle detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pole is mounted at a front corner of the vehicle opposed to a steering wheel of the vehicle.

3. The obstacle detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image pickup unit is contained in the pole.

4. The obstacle detection device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a light source that is arranged around the image pickup unit and irradiates the hyperboloidal mirror with light.

5. The obstacle detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is provided with a moving substance determination unit for determining whether or not the image picked up by the image pickup unit includes a moving substance and a moving substance highlight signal processing unit for subjecting the moving substance determined by the moving substance determination unit to a signal processing so as to easily identify the moving substance.

6. The obstacle detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is provided with a magnification and display unit that magnifies and displays a portion of the image picked up by the image pickup unit and a magnified displayed portion moving unit that moves the magnified and displayed portion by the magnification and display unit.

7. The obstacle detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is provided with a rear image signal superimposing unit that displays the image displayed by the display unit and an image of a vehicle rear monitoring camera at the same time when a shift lever of the vehicle is set in a “

Rear Model”

for back gear.

8. The obstacle detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is provided with:

a driving lane detection unit for detecting a driving lane on a road;

a lane distance measuring unit for determining whether or not a distance between a side of the vehicle and the driving lane detected by the driving lane detection unit is smaller than a predetermined value; and

a deviation-from-lane alarm unit that displays an alarm when a state where the lane distance measuring unit determines that the distance is smaller than the predetermined value continues for a predetermined period of time.

9. The obstacle detection device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the deviation-from-lane alarm unit varies the predetermined value of a criterion for display of the alarm in response to a running speed of the vehicle.

10. The obstacle detection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pole for containing the hyperboloidal mirror is utilized also as a vehicle mounted antenna.

11. The obstacle detection device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a drive unit capable of changing a direction of the hyperboloidal mirror, wherein the hyperboloidal mirror has a large radius of curvature.