Photographing apparatus, image signal choosing apparatus, driving assisting apparatus and automobile

• US 20070139523A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nishida, Toshio, Sai, Hirotomo
• Granted Patent: US 8,368,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/162 event-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Considering the locations of a self-vehicle and other vehicles changing from moment to moment, an image signal is chosen in relation to the location, orientation, viewing angle, and moving speed of a camera mounted on each vehicle, and information on a region to be a driver'"'"'s blind spot is provided in real time by means of images and voice. When there is the other vehicles whose camera meets requirements such as the location, orientation, viewing angle, and moving speed for photographing a region to be the self-vehicle'"'"'s blind spot, it is possible to provide information on the blind spot by the image picked up by the camera. However, since the other vehicle'"'"'s location also changes with a lapse of time, it is not possible to keep photographing the blind spot with the same camera. Therefore, the image of the driver'"'"'s blind spot is obtained in real time by constantly detecting the location, orientation, viewing angle, and moving speed of cameras mounted on the other vehicles running near the self-vehicle, choosing dynamically a camera capable of photographing the region to be the self-vehicle'"'"'s blind spot, and switching image signals in succession.

Claims

1. A photographing apparatus comprising:

n units (n≧

1) of first photographing means to pick up images and output image signals;

receiving means to receive image signals outputted from m units (m≧

1) of second photographing means with which an external apparatus is equipped, wherein part of photographing coverage of at least one of the second photographing means is common with part of photographing coverage of at least one of the first photographing means;

choosing means to choose k units (n+m>

k≧

1) of image signals out of image signals outputted from n units of the first photographing means and image signals outputted from m units of the second photographing means and received; and

control means to control choice of image signals by the choosing means by using one or more information on the location, orientation, viewing angle, and moving speed of n units of the first photographing means and m units of the second photographing means.

2. A photographing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the control means calculates, by using information on the location, orientation, viewing angle, and moving speed of n units of the first photographing means and m units of the second photographing means, the time taken by a specific object in a common region of the photographing coverage of the first and second photographing means to deviate from the common region;

wherein the control means controls, before the above time elapses, to switch the choice of image signals such that one or more of the image signals of p units (p≧

1) of third photographing means with which the other external apparatus is equipped is chosen; and

wherein the specific object exists in the common region of the photographing coverage of the first and third photographing means.

3. An image-signal choosing apparatus to choose k units (n>

k) of image signals from n units of inputted image signals, wherein the image-signal choosing apparatus chooses k units of image signals by using one or more information on the location, orientation, viewing angle, and moving speed of a camera picking up n units of inputted image signals.

4. A driving assisting apparatus comprising:

n units (n≧

1) of first photographing means mounted on a self-vehicle and picking up images around the self-vehicle;

detecting means to detect one or more information about the location, orientation, viewing angle, and moving speed of the first photographing means;

receiving means to receive image signals picked up by m units (m≧

1) of second photographing means mounted on the other vehicle to picked up images around the other vehicle and picking up images around the self-vehicle, and to receive one or more information on the location, orientation, viewing angle, and moving speed of the second photographing means;

choosing means to choose k units (n+m>

k≧

1) of image signals by using, out of the image signals picked up by said first and second photographing means, one or more information on the location, orientation, viewing angle, and moving speed of said first photographing means detected by said detecting means and by using one or more information on the location, orientation, viewing angle, and moving speed of the second photographing means received by said receiving means; and

display means to display k units of image signals chosen by said choosing means.

5. A driving assisting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said display means displays two or more image signals chosen by said choosing means in succession or in separate windows on the same screen.

6. A driving assisting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said display means combines or superimposes and displays two or more image signals chosen by said choosing means.

7. A driving assisting apparatus according to claim 4 comprising recognizing means to perform object recognition with respect to an image signal chosen by said choosing means, wherein said display means displays an object recognized by said recognizing means.

8. A driving assisting apparatus according to claim 4, comprising stereo-photographing processing means to perform photographing in stereo by using two or more image signals chosen by said choosing means.

9. A driving assisting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein object recognition is performed in said first and second photographing means and image signals of objects to be recognized including a person and/or an obstacle around the self-vehicle are chosen and displayed.

10. A driving assisting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, with respect to a region to be the driver'"'"'s blind spot which cannot be photographed by said first photographing means because of an obstacle, image signals picked up by said second photographing means are chosen and displayed.

11. A driving assisting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, with respect to a region to be the driver'"'"'s blind spot which cannot be photographed by said first photographing means because of an obstacle, when image signals picked up by said second photographing means are chosen and displayed, a notice in voice about such processing is outputted.

12. A driving assisting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when image signals picked up by said second photographing means are chosen and displayed with respect to a region to be the driver'"'"'s blind spot which cannot be photographed by said first photographing means because of an obstacle, the obstacle portion is colored and its image is explicitly displayed.

13. A vehicle having n units (n≧

1) of first cameras and a monitor for displaying images picked up by the first cameras, said vehicle comprising;

receiving means to receive image signals outputted from m units (m≧

1) of second cameras with which a self-vehicle is not equipped, wherein part of photographing coverage of at least one of the second cameras is in common with part of photographing coverage of at least one of the first cameras;

choosing means to choose k units (n+m>

k≧

1) of images signals out of image signals outputted from n units of the first cameras and image signals outputted from m units of the second cameras and received; and

control means to control choice of image signals by the choosing means by using one or more information on the location, orientation, viewing angle, and moving speed of n units of the first cameras and m units of the second cameras,

wherein, with respect to a region of photographing coverage to be a driver'"'"'s blind spot which cannot be photographed by the first camera because of an obstacle, the image signal picked up by the second camera is chosen and displayed on the monitor.