Vehicle-mounted camera apparatus

• US 20040212686A1
• Filed: 04/20/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Usami, Tomohide
• Granted Patent: US 7,466,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.99
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6842 by controlling the scanning position, e.g. windowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to stably display an image with no motion blur, on a screen, without providing a camera with a sensor for detecting vibration. A vehicle-mounted camera apparatus according to the present invention detects the vibration transferred to a vehicle from signals detected by a road surface sensor 4c that detects variation of force applied to a piston rod 6a of a shock absorber 6 constituting a suspension of the vehicle and corrects image motion blur based on the detected vibrations. This allows stable display of the image, with no motion blur, on the screen without providing the camera with a sensor for detecting vibration.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted camera apparatus, comprising:

a camera mounted on a vehicle;

a vibration detector provided on a body, a frame or a suspension of said vehicle so as to detect vibration transferred to said vehicle;

an image motion blur corrector for correcting a motion blur in an image captured by said camera based on vibrations detected by said vibration detector; and

a display controller for displaying an image corrected by said image motion blur corrector.

2. The vehicle-mounted camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vibration detector is provided on a suspension of said vehicle and detects variation of force applied to a piston rod of the shock absorber constituting said suspension as vibration transferred to said vehicle.

3. The vehicle-mounted camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vibration detector is provided on a suspension of said vehicle in the vicinity of the position where said camera is mounted.

4. The vehicle-mounted camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said vibration detector is provided on a suspension of said vehicle in the vicinity of the position where said camera is mounted.

5. The vehicle-mounted camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vibration detector is a sensor for controlling damping force of a shock absorber of a suspension of said vehicle.

6. The vehicle-mounted camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said vibration detector is a sensor for controlling damping force of a shock absorber of a suspension of said vehicle.

7. The vehicle-mounted camera apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said vibration detector is a sensor for controlling damping force of a shock absorber of a suspension of said vehicle.

8. The vehicle-mounted camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image motion blur corrector determines an amount and direction of a motion blur in an image displayed on said screen that corresponds to the image captured by said camera based on a vibrations detected by said vibration detector, and

changes an area to be displayed on said screen, within an image captured by said camera, according to said amount and direction of a image motion blur.

9. The vehicle-mounted camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said image motion blur corrector determines an amount and direction of a motion blur in an image displayed on said screen that corresponds to the image captured by said camera based on a vibrations detected by said vibration detector, and

changes an area to be displayed on said screen, within an image captured by said camera, according to said amount and direction of a image motion blur.

10. The vehicle-mounted camera apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said image motion blur corrector determines an amount and direction of a motion blur in an image displayed on said screen that corresponds to the image captured by said camera based on a vibrations detected by said vibration detector, and

changes an area to be displayed on said screen, within an image captured by said camera, according to said amount and direction of a image motion blur.

11. The vehicle-mounted camera apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image motion blur corrector determines an amount and direction of a motion blur in an image displayed on said screen that corresponds to the image captured by said camera based on a vibrations detected by said vibration detector, and

changes an area to be displayed on said screen, within an image captured by said camera, according to said amount and direction of a image motion blur.