VEHICLE AUXILIARY DEVICE

• US 20100253780A1
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shih-Hsiung Li
• Original Assignee: Shih-Hsiung Li
• Inventors: LI, Shih-Hsiung
• Application Number:
  US12/418,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20100253780A1
• 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 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• 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 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• 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 vehicle auxiliary device has multiple front video cameras, multiple rear video cameras, at least one roadway video camera, multiple front ultrasonic transducers, multiple rear ultrasonic transducers, a controller and at least one display. The controller is electronically connected to the front, the rear and the roadway video cameras and the front and the rear ultrasonic transducers to receive electronic signals from the front and the rear ultrasonic transducers and compute distances between the front and the rear ultrasonic transducers and the obstacles from the electronic signals. The display is electronically connected to the controller to illustrate the images captured by the front, the rear and the roadway video cameras.

Claims

1. A vehicle auxiliary device disposed on a vehicle having a head, a rear and a gear, the vehicle auxiliary device comprising:

multiple front video cameras disposed on the head of the vehicle to capture images in front of the vehicle;

multiple rear video cameras disposed on the rear of the vehicle to capture images behind the vehicle;

at least one roadway video camera installed on the head of the vehicle to capture images of the roadway in front of the vehicle;

multiple front ultrasonic transducers disposed on the head of the vehicle and outputting electronic signals corresponding to distances from obstacles;

multiple rear ultrasonic transducers disposed on the rear of the vehicle and outputting electronic signals corresponding to distances from obstacles;

a controller disposed in the vehicle, electronically connected to the front video cameras, the rear video cameras, the roadway video camera, the front ultrasonic transducers and the rear ultrasonic transducers to receive electronic signals from the front and the rear ultrasonic transducers and compute distances between the front and the rear ultrasonic transducers and the obstacles from the electronic signals and having a speed detection terminal and a gear detection terminal, wherein the speed detection terminal and the gear detection terminal are used respectively to retrieve speed and gear shifting conditions of the vehicle; and

at least one display electronically connected to the controller to illustrate the images captured by the front, the rear and the roadway video cameras.

2. The vehicle auxiliary device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an alarm, wherein:

the controller further comprises;

a control unit having

multiple input terminals electronically connected to the front and the rear ultrasonic transducers; and

multiple output terminals;

a video processor having

multiple input terminals electronically connected to the speed detection terminal and the gear detection terminal of the controller, the front and rear video cameras, the roadway video camera and one of the output terminal of the control unit; and

at least one output terminal; and

a video superimposing unit electronically connected to the output terminal of the video processor and one of the output terminals of the control unit to superimpose text information representing the distances between the front and the rear ultrasonic transducers and the obstacles on the images illustrated on the display; and

the alarm is electronically connected to and is controlled by the controller.

3. The vehicle auxiliary device as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a touch panel electronically connected to the video processor in the controller.

4. The vehicle auxiliary device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the touch panel is integrated with the display.

5. The vehicle auxiliary device as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a speed detector and a gear shifting detector, wherein:

the speed detector and the gear shifting detector are disposed in the vehicle to respectively detect speed and gear shifting conditions of the vehicle; and

the speed detection terminal and the gear detection terminal of the controller retrieve the speed and gear shifting conditions of the vehicle respectively from the speed detector and the gear shifting detector.

6. The vehicle auxiliary device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the alarm is a buzzer.

7. The vehicle auxiliary device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the alarm is a speaker.