OBSTACLE ALARM DEVICE

• US 20130107051A1
• Filed: 05/30/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: MARUOKA, Tetsuya, KADOYA, Akira, IKEDA, Keigo
• Granted Patent: US 9,393,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/08 Active safety systems predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision or attempting to minimise its consequences
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An obstacle alarm device having a captured image acquisition unit, an attention-prioritized captured image generation unit, an object presence determination unit, a movement direction determination unit, and a clear indication image output unit for causing a frame sign to be displayed at sequentially varying positions centerward from an outer edge part of the attention-prioritized captured image, and for repeatedly performing such displaying, in a case where the movement direction determination unit has determined that the object is moving toward the center of the attention-prioritized captured image.

Claims

1. An obstacle alarm device, comprising:

a captured image acquisition unit for acquiring a captured image in which an image of a visual scene of a periphery of a vehicle has been captured;

an attention-prioritized captured image generation unit for generating an attention-prioritized captured image on the basis of the captured image;

an object presence determination unit for determining whether or not an object is present in a periphery of the vehicle;

a movement direction determination unit for determining a movement direction of the object; and

a clear indication image output unit for causing a frame sign, which has a smaller outer shape than an outline of the attention-prioritized captured image and is turned on for a fixed duration of time and thereafter turned off, to be displayed at sequentially varying positions from an outer edge part of the attention-prioritized captured image toward a center thereof, and for repeatedly performing such displaying, in a case where the movement direction determination unit has determined that the object is moving toward the center of the attention-prioritized captured image.

2. The obstacle alarm device according to claim 1, wherein:

the attention-prioritized captured image generation unit generates a center portion of the captured image as the attention-prioritized captured image, and

the object presence determination unit determines whether or not the object is present in an outside region of the exterior of the attention-prioritized captured image.

3. The obstacle alarm device according to claim 1, wherein:

the attention-prioritized captured image generation unit generates the entirety of the captured image as the attention-prioritized captured image, and

the object presence determination unit determines whether or not the object is present in a region corresponding to the attention-prioritized captured image.

4. The obstacle alarm device according to claims 1, characterized in that:

in a case where there are a plurality of frame signs, a frame sign displayed later is of smaller size than a frame sign displayed immediately prior.

5. The obstacle alarm device according to claims 1, characterized in that:

in a case where there are a plurality of frame signs, a frame sign displayed later is of lower transparency than a frame sign displayed immediately prior.

6. The obstacle alarm device according to claim 1, wherein:

there is adopted a configuration such that the clear indication image output unit discontinues the outputting of the frame sign in a case where the object has entered a region corresponding to the attention-prioritized captured image.