Apparatus for visually confirming vehicle periphery

• US 20050057651A1
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Toyota Auto Body Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohue, Kenichi, Ide, Hideyuki, Yamamoto, Yasuhiko, Sagara, Naoki, Hori, Hideya, Imoto, Masayoshi
• Application Number:
  US10/901,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057651A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/006 Side-view mirrors, e.g. V-shaped mirrors located at the front or rear part of the vehicle combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08; side-view periscopes B60R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/60 characterised by monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior scenes from a transformed perspective
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views

Abstract

An apparatus for visually confirming a vehicle periphery includes a camera device which is attached to a vehicle, and which picks up a image in at least one direction at the vehicle periphery and a display unit which displays the picked-up image in the at least one direction on a display unit installed in the vehicle. The camera device is attached to the vehicle while a position of the camera device is inclined, so that a vehicle is at least partially taken in the picked-image in the at least one direction, The image-processing device carries out a rotation process with respect to the picked-up image, in which a scene taken in the picked-up image is inclined due to an inclination resulting from the position of the camera device, so that an inclination of the scene is negated, and which displays the scene in the display unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for visually confirming a vehicle periphery comprising:

a camera device which is attached to a vehicle while a position of the camera device is inclined, and which picks up an image in at least one direction at the vehicle periphery; and

a display unit which is attached to the vehicle, and which displays the picked-up image in the at least one direction, wherein

an image-processing device carries out a rotation process with respect to the picked-up image, in which a scene taken in the picked-up image is inclined due to an inclination resulting from the position of the camera device, so that an inclination of the scene is negated, and which displays the scene in the display unit.

2. An apparatus for visually confirming a vehicle periphery according to claim 1, wherein

the camera device is attached to the vehicle by an attaching member in a state where the position of the camera is inclined,

an inclination of the position of the camera device is adjusted in compliance with the vehicle by replacing the attaching member in compliance with the vehicle.

3. An apparatus for visually confirming a vehicle periphery according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display-selecting device which selectively displays the picked-up image in the at least one direction on the display unit manually by a prescribed switch operation or automatically on the basis of vehicle information of the vehicle.

4. An apparatus for visually confirming a vehicle periphery according to claim 1, wherein

the camera device simultaneously picks up scenes in three directions including both forward left and right side directions and forward diagonally downward direction of the vehicle,

the camera device is attached to the vehicle in a state where the position of the camera device is inclined, so that the vehicle is at least partially taken in the picked-up image in the forward diagonally downward direction, and

the display unit simultaneously displays picked-up image in the three directions including both forward left and right side directions and forward diagonally downward direction, which are picked up by the camera device.

5. An apparatus for visually confirming a vehicle periphery comprising:

a camera device which is attached to a vehicle, and which picks up an image in at least one direction at the vehicle periphery; and

a display unit which is attached to the vehicle, and which displays the picked-up image in the at least one direction, wherein

the camera device is attached to the vehicle while a position of the camera device is inclined, so that a vehicle is at least partially taken in the picked-image in the at least one direction, and

an image-processing device carries out a rotation process with respect to the picked-up image, in which a scene taken in the picked-up image is inclined due to an inclination resulting from the position of the camera device, so that an inclination of the scene is negated, and which displays the scene in the display unit.

6. An apparatus for visually confirming a vehicle periphery according to claim 5, wherein

the camera device is attached to the vehicle by an attaching member in a state where the position of the camera is inclined,

an inclination of the position of the camera device is adjusted in compliance with the vehicle by replacing the attaching member in compliance with the vehicle.

7. An apparatus for visually confirming a vehicle periphery according to claim 5, further comprising:

a display-selecting device which selectively displays the picked-up image in the at least one direction on the display unit manually by a prescribed switch operation or automatically on the basis of vehicle information of the vehicle.

8. An apparatus for visually confirming a vehicle periphery according to claim 5, wherein

the camera device simultaneously picks up scenes in three directions including both forward left and right side directions and forward diagonally downward direction of the vehicle,

the camera device is attached to the vehicle in a state where the position of the camera device is inclined, so that the vehicle is at least partially taken in the picked-up image in the forward diagonally downward direction, and

the display unit simultaneously displays picked-up image in the three directions including both forward left and right side directions and forward diagonally downward direction, which are picked up by the camera device.