IMAGE GENERATING APPARATUS AND IMAGE DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 20120105643A1
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozaki, Yukisuke, Ohno, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,836,787 B2
• 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 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/602 with an adjustable viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

When displaying a peripheral image in the case where a traveling speed of a vehicle is lower than a predetermined threshold value, it is possible to provide a user with a state of a necessary area of the vehicle without switching a display mode. In an image display system, when the traveling speed of the vehicle drops to below a predetermined threshold value such that an operation mode shifts into a front mode, the display mode becomes a front/side mode that simultaneously displays both a front area and a side area of the vehicle at the time that the front mode is started. A screen presented in the front/side mode can respond to various circumstances such as approaching an intersection, passing by another vehicle, and moving a vehicle toward a roadside. Accordingly, a user can monitor a state of a necessary area around the vehicle, without switching the display mode.

Claims

1. An image generating apparatus that generates an image to be displayed on a display apparatus mounted on a vehicle, the image generating apparatus comprising:

an acquiring section that acquires a traveling speed of the vehicle;

a display control section that makes the display apparatus display an image showing the periphery of the vehicle when the traveling speed is lower than a first threshold value; and

a mode switching section that switches a display mode for making the display apparatus display the image to one display mode selected from among a plurality of display modes in response to a user operation, the display modes being different from each other,

wherein the mode switching section switches the display mode to a specific display mode for making the display apparatus display an image including a first image showing a front area of the vehicle and a second image showing a side area of the vehicle which are juxtaposed to each other at the time the traveling speed drops to below the first threshold value and the display control section starts making the display apparatus display the image.

2. The image generating apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a generating section that generates a synthetic image showing the vehicle and the periphery of the vehicle viewed from a virtual viewpoint based on a plurality of images of the periphery of the vehicle captured by a plurality of cameras,

wherein the second image is the synthetic image generated by the generating section.

3. The image generating apparatus as set forth in claim 2, further comprising an input section that inputs a direction indication of a driver of the vehicle,

wherein the generating section generates, as the second image, a synthetic image in which one side area of the vehicle, which is indicated by the direction indication is displayed larger in size than another side area of the vehicle when the direction indication is input by the input section.

4. The image generating apparatus as set forth in claim 3,

wherein the synthetic image generation section generates, as the second image, a synthetic image in which the one side area of the vehicle, which is indicated by the direction indication is displayed larger in size than the another side area of the vehicle when the direction indication is input by the input section from the time the traveling speed drops to below the first threshold value and the display control section starts making the display apparatus display the image.

5. The image generating apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the generating section generates the synthetic image at any time during the image generating apparatus is activated.

6. The image generating apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the generating section generates the synthetic image only when making the display apparatus display the synthetic image.

7. The image generating apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the generating section generates the synthetic image when the traveling speed drops to below a second threshold value which is higher than the first threshold value.

8. The image generating apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the display modes except the specific display mode are display modes for making the display apparatus display an image showing only one of the front area of the vehicle and the side area of the vehicle.

9. The image display system to be mounted on a vehicle, the image display system comprising:

the image generating apparatus as set forth in claim 1; and

a display apparatus that displays an image generated by the image generating apparatus.