Periphery monitoring system for vehicle

• US 20080246843A1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Uchida, Tsuneo, Nagata, Asako
• Application Number:
  US12/078,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246843A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• 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 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• 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 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/307 virtually distinguishing relevant parts of a scene from the background of the scene
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8033 for pedestrian protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8086 for vehicle path indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A periphery monitoring system for a vehicle captures an image of a mobile object in a first field of view. The system captures an image of the mobile object in a second field of view that is located on a downstream side of the first field of view in an approaching direction of the vehicle. The first display region of the system displays the captured image along a first trajectory. When the mobile object enters into the second field of view after crossing the first field of view, the image of the mobile object is displayed along a second trajectory in the second display region of the system successively from the first display region. The system causes an auxiliary image to be displayed in the second display region in accordance with the entering of the mobile object into the second field of view.

Claims

1. A periphery monitoring system for a vehicle comprising:

first capturing means for capturing an image of a mobile object in a first field of view, the mobile object approaching the vehicle, the first field of view being located on an upstream side of the vehicle in an approaching direction, in which the mobile object approaches the vehicle, the first capturing means being mounted on the vehicle;

second capturing means for capturing an image of the mobile object in a second field of view, which field includes an immediately close region of the vehicle, the second field of view being located on a downstream side of the first field of view in the approaching direction;

mobile object image display means for having a first display region and a second display region arranged adjacently to each other, wherein;

the first display region displays the image captured by the first capturing means, the image being moved along a first trajectory in the first display region;

the second display region displays the image captured by the second capturing means; and

when the mobile object enters into the second field of view after crossing the first field of view, the image of the mobile object is displayed along a second trajectory in the second display region successively from the image in the first display region; and

auxiliary image display means for causing an auxiliary image to be displayed in the second display region in accordance with the entering of the mobile object into the second field of view from the first field of view, the auxiliary image being displayed for getting attention to the mobile object that approaches the immediately close region of the vehicle.

2. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising:

travel speed determining means for determining a travel speed of the mobile object that crosses the first field of view and the second field of view, wherein;

the auxiliary image display means causes the auxiliary image to be moved along a third trajectory at a speed that corresponds to the determined travel speed, the third trajectory being connected with the first trajectory.

3. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 2, further comprising:

mobile object image position determining means for determining a position of the image of the mobile object in the first display region; and

emphasis image display means for causing an emphasis image to be displayed at the determined position of the image of the mobile object and to be moved together with the image of the mobile object, the emphasis image being displayed to emphasize the position of the image of the mobile object, wherein;

the auxiliary image display means causes the auxiliary image to be displayed and moved along the third trajectory such that the auxiliary image display means causes the auxiliary image to be displayed and moved successively from the emphasis image in the first display region.

4. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the emphasis image is an emphasis figure image that is superimposed on the image of the mobile object.

5. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the emphasis image is the emphasis figure image that is superimposed on the image of the mobile object to cover the image of the mobile object.

6. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 4, further comprising:

mobile object distance detection means for detecting a distance from the mobile object to the vehicle, wherein;

the emphasis image display means causes the emphasis figure image to be displayed larger when the distance becomes smaller.

7. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 4, wherein the auxiliary image display means causes the auxiliary image to be displayed as an auxiliary figure image that has an identical shape with the emphasis figure image.

8. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 7, further comprising:

mobile object distance detection means for detecting a distance from the mobile object to the vehicle, wherein;

the auxiliary image display means causes the auxiliary figure image to be displayed larger when the distance becomes smaller.

9. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein:

the auxiliary image display means causes the auxiliary image to be superimposed on the image of the mobile object at an intersection position such that the auxiliary image covers at least a part of the image of the mobile object, the intersection position being located between the second trajectory and the third trajectory.

10. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein:

the auxiliary image display means causes the auxiliary image to be invisible at a time when the image of the mobile object reaches an intersection position between the second trajectory and the third trajectory.

11. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first capturing means captures the image in a view field of a rear lateral side of the vehicle as the first field of view; and

the second capturing means captures the image in a view field of a direct rear side of the vehicle as the second field of view.

12. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 11, further comprising:

rear left capturing means for capturing an image in a rear left view field located at a rear left side of the vehicle; and

rear right capturing means for capturing an image in a rear right view field located at a rear right side of the vehicle, wherein;

one of the rear left capturing means and the rear right capturing means serves as the first capturing means, the one of the rear left capturing means and the rear right capturing means being located on an approaching side of the vehicle, from which side the mobile object approaches the vehicle; and

the mobile object image display means includes a direct rear image display region, a rear left image display region, and a rear right image display region, the rear left image display region and the rear right image display region being arranged adjacently to each other on a side of the direct rear image display region, the direct rear image display region displaying the image in the direct rear view field, the rear left image display region displaying the image in the rear left view field, the rear right image display region displaying the image of the rear right view field, one of the rear left image display region and the rear right image display region serving as the first display region, the one of the display regions corresponds to the approaching side of the vehicle, the direct rear image display region serving as the second display region.

13. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein:

each of the direct rear image display region, the rear left image display region, and the rear right image display region is defined by an image mask region in a common screen of the mobile object image display means such that the each of the regions is associated with a shape of a corresponding window of the vehicle.

14. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 12, wherein:

an other one of the rear left image display region and the rear right image display region serves as a third display region, the other one of the regions being located on an away side of the vehicle, from which side the mobile object moves away from the vehicle, the auxiliary image display means causing the auxiliary image to be displayed at a position located between the intersection position and a fourth trajectory of the mobile object in the third display region.

15. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 14, wherein:

the auxiliary image display means causes the auxiliary image to be displayed and moved along a fifth trajectory that is set from the intersection position to the fourth trajectory.

16. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 14, further comprising:

mobile object image position determining means for determining a position of the image of the mobile object in the third display region; and

emphasis image display means for causing an emphasis image to be displayed at the determined position of the image of the mobile object together with the mobile object image, the emphasis image being used for emphasizing the mobile object position.

17. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary image display means causes the auxiliary image to be displayed along a third trajectory that is connected with the first trajectory.

18. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the image of the mobile object is displayed and moved from an image start position in the second display region when the mobile object enters into the second field of view after crossing the first field of view, the image start position being located out of an imaginary extension of the first trajectory.

19. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first capturing means is mounted to the vehicle on an upstream side of the vehicle in the approaching direction; and

the mobile object image display means has the first display region that is located on a side in a display screen of the mobile object image display means, correspondingly to the upstream side of the vehicle.

20. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 19, further comprising:

third capturing means for capturing an image of the mobile object in a third field of view, the third field of view being located on a downstream side of the second field of view in the approaching direction, wherein;

the mobile object image display means further includes a third display region that displays the image captured by the third capturing means; and

the third display region and the first display region are arranged adjacent to each other on a side of the second display region.

21. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 20, wherein:

the first capturing means captures the image in one of a rear right side and a rear left side of the vehicle; and

the third capturing means captures the image in the other one of the rear right side and the rear left side of the vehicle.

22. The periphery monitoring system according to claim 19, wherein:

the mobile object image position determining means determines a position of the image of the mobile object in the third display region; and

the emphasis image display means causes the emphasis image to be displayed at the determined position of the image of the mobile object and to be moved together with the image of the mobile object in the third display region.

23. A periphery monitoring system for a vehicle comprising:

first capturing means for capturing an image of a mobile object in a first field of view, the mobile object approaching the vehicle, the first field of view being located on an upstream side of the vehicle in an approaching direction, in which the mobile object approaches the vehicle, the first capturing means being mounted on the vehicle;

second capturing means for capturing an image of the mobile object in a second field of view, which field includes an immediately close region of the vehicle, the second field of view being located on a downstream side of the first field of view in the approaching direction;

mobile object image display means for having a first display region and a second display region arranged adjacently to each other, the first display region displaying the image captured by the first capturing means, the second display region displaying the image captured by the second capturing means; and

auxiliary image display means for causing an auxiliary image to be displayed in the second display region when the mobile object is displayed from the first display region to the second display region, the auxiliary image indicating a direction, in which the mobile object is displayed.