APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A VIEWING ANGLE FOR A VEHICLE, AND A VEHICLE INCLUDING THE APPARATUS

• US 20170101058A1
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Park, Hyungsoon
• Granted Patent: US 10,086,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/081 avoiding blind spots, e.g. by using a side-by-side association of mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8026 in addition to a rear-view mirror system

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for controlling a viewing angle for a vehicle, and a vehicle including the apparatus, are disclosed which may easily determine movements of a following vehicle and increase driving convenience and stability without the need for the driver to look back, by controlling the angle of a side mirror or side camera according to a situation of the vehicle. The apparatus includes an information receiver configured to receive information about a situation of a vehicle, information about a driving direction of the vehicle, and lane information of the vehicle; a motor controller configured to control an angle of a side mirror or side camera that captures a side and rear view of the vehicle; and a viewing angle controller configured to determine whether it is a situation to change the angle of the side mirror or side camera based on the situational information collected by the information receiver, and to then determine an angle between the driving direction of the vehicle, the information of which is received by the information receiver, and a lane, and to control the motor controller based on the determination results.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a viewing angle for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an information receiver configured to receive information about a situation of a vehicle, information about a driving direction of the vehicle, and lane information of the vehicle;

a motor controller configured to control an angle of a side mirror or a side camera that captures a side and rear view of the vehicle; and

a viewing angle controller configured to determine whether it is a situation to change the angle of the side mirror or side camera based on the situational information collected by the information receiver, and then to determine an angle between the driving direction of the vehicle, the information of which is received by the information receiver, and a lane, and to control the motor controller based on the determination results.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the viewing angle controller is configured to

determine a distance from a current location of the vehicle to a lane into which the vehicle is going to enter, based on the situational information received by the information receiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the viewing angle controller is configured to

determine the angle between the driving direction of the vehicle and the lane, based on the distance.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the viewing angle controller is configured to

re-control the angle of the side mirror or side camera, if the lane information captured by an image capturer and the driving direction of the vehicle, the information of which is collected by the information collector, correspond to a lane.

5. A vehicle comprising:

an information collector configured to collect information about a situation of the vehicle and information about a driving direction of the vehicle;

an image capturer mounted on the front of the vehicle that is configured to extract lane information of the vehicle; and

an apparatus configured to control a viewing angle for determining whether it is a situation to change an angle of a side mirror or side camera based on situational information collected by the information collector, and then to determine an angle between the driving direction of the vehicle, the information of which is collected by the information collector, and a lane extracted by the image capturer, and to control the angle of the side mirror based on the determination results.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the apparatus for controlling viewing angle is configured to

determine a distance from a current location of the vehicle to a lane into which the vehicle is going to enter, based on the situational information collected by the information collector.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the apparatus for controlling viewing angle is configured to

determine the angle between the driving direction of the vehicle and the lane, based on the distance.

8. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the apparatus for controlling the viewing angle is configured to

re-control the angle of the side mirror, if the lane information captured by the image capturer and the driving direction of the vehicle, the information of which is collected by the information collector, correspond to a lane.

9. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the information collector comprises

at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) module, a navigation system, a gear level of the vehicle, a speed detector of the vehicle, a Blind Spot Detection (BSD) detector, and an indicator light detector.

10. The vehicle of claim 5, further comprising:

an output unit configured to inform a driver that the angle of the side mirror has been changed.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the output unit comprises

at least one of an image display, a vibrator, and a sounding unit.

12. A method for controlling a viewing angle for vehicle, the method comprising:

collecting information about a situation of a vehicle and information about a driving direction of the vehicle;

extracting lane information of the vehicle;

determining whether it is a situation to change an angle of a side mirror or side camera based on the collected situational information;

determining an angle between the collected driving direction of the vehicle and the extracted lane; and

controlling an angle of the side mirror or side camera based on the determination results.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining an angle between the collected driving direction of the vehicle and the extracted lane comprises

determining a distance from a location of the vehicle to a lane into which the vehicle is going to enter based on the situational information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining a distance from a location of the vehicle to a lane into which the vehicle is going to enter based on the situational information comprises

determining an angle between the driving direction of the vehicle and the lane, based on the distance.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling an angle of the side mirror or side camera based on the determination results comprises

re-controlling the angle of the side mirror or side camera, if the captured lane and the collected driving direction of the vehicle correspond to a lane.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling an angle of the side mirror or side camera based on the determination results comprises:

informing a driver that the angle of the side mirror or side camera has been changed.