Vehicle navigation apparatus providing simultaneous forward and rearward views
First Claim
1. A visual information supplying apparatus, comprising:
- a) first providing means for providing first visual information;
b) first displaying means for displaying the first visual information in a form of a first image;
c) second providing means for providing second visual information including the visual information for one eye of a human and for the other eye of the human;
d) second displaying means for displaying the second visual information in the form of a three-dimensional second image;
e) producing means, coupled to said first and second displaying means, capable of producing respective said first image and said second image independently or superimposing one of said first image and said second image on the other for a viewer;
f) switching signal generating means, coupled to said producing means, for generating and outputting a switching signal depending on which one of the first and second images is selected to be displayed on the producing means;
g) image controlling means, coupled to said producing means and said switching signal generating means, for controlling the producing means so as to selectively produce either or both of the first and second image for the viewer on the basis of the switching signal,wherein said visual information supplying apparatus is mounted on a moving object and wherein said first displaying means includes a combining glass which provides forward scenery to the viewer in the moving object directly as the first image, the forward scenery being the first visual information and wherein said second displaying means includes;
a pair of camera means, installed on the moving object so as to face toward either a side direction or a rearward direction of the moving object with a spatial distance between each other, the spatial distance being set to provide substantially the same distance as the interval distance between the eyeballs of the human, for outputting the second visual information; and
monitor means, installed in the moving object so as to oppose the eyeballs of the viewer for receiving the second visual information from said pair of camera means and for displaying the second visual information received from said pair of camera means in the form of the three dimensional image,h) a vehicle reversing detecting means for determining whether the vehicle is running rearward or not and wherein said switching signal generating means outputs the switching signal in response to a signal from said vehicle reversing detecting means from said vehicle reversing detecting means, said signal indicating whether the vehicle is running rearward or not, wherein said viewer is a vehicle driver;
i) a head position detecting means for detecting a movement position of the head of the vehicle driver and outputting a signal indicating the movement position of the vehicle driver;
j) supporting means for pivotally supporting said pair of camera means so as to face said pair of camera means toward a desired photographing direction; and
k) camera position controlling means for pivotally controlling the position of the pair of camera means via said supporting means in response to the signal indicating the movement position of the head of the driver so that the photographing direction of the pair of camera means is controlled in accordance with the head movement direction,wherein said producing means includes a mirror having a function to vary its transmissivity.
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Abstract
In an apparatus for controllably supplying visual information for a viewer, an optical system including ocular glasses corresponding to right and left eyes of the driver (viewer) is provided so that images on a pair of liquid crystal televisions are introduced to the pair of ocular glasses to provide a three-dimensional solid image. Two television cameras are installed on a vehicle so as to be faced in the rearward direction with their bodies juxtaposed to each other. When the vehicle is reversed, a reflectivity of a half mirror is maximized so that a rearward scenery can be viewed via the ocular glasses in the form of a solid image. During the forwarding of the vehicle, a forward field of view is produced for a half mirror with a transmissivity of the half mirror maximized.
821 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A visual information supplying apparatus, comprising:
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a) first providing means for providing first visual information; b) first displaying means for displaying the first visual information in a form of a first image; c) second providing means for providing second visual information including the visual information for one eye of a human and for the other eye of the human; d) second displaying means for displaying the second visual information in the form of a three-dimensional second image; e) producing means, coupled to said first and second displaying means, capable of producing respective said first image and said second image independently or superimposing one of said first image and said second image on the other for a viewer; f) switching signal generating means, coupled to said producing means, for generating and outputting a switching signal depending on which one of the first and second images is selected to be displayed on the producing means; g) image controlling means, coupled to said producing means and said switching signal generating means, for controlling the producing means so as to selectively produce either or both of the first and second image for the viewer on the basis of the switching signal, wherein said visual information supplying apparatus is mounted on a moving object and wherein said first displaying means includes a combining glass which provides forward scenery to the viewer in the moving object directly as the first image, the forward scenery being the first visual information and wherein said second displaying means includes;
a pair of camera means, installed on the moving object so as to face toward either a side direction or a rearward direction of the moving object with a spatial distance between each other, the spatial distance being set to provide substantially the same distance as the interval distance between the eyeballs of the human, for outputting the second visual information; and
monitor means, installed in the moving object so as to oppose the eyeballs of the viewer for receiving the second visual information from said pair of camera means and for displaying the second visual information received from said pair of camera means in the form of the three dimensional image,h) a vehicle reversing detecting means for determining whether the vehicle is running rearward or not and wherein said switching signal generating means outputs the switching signal in response to a signal from said vehicle reversing detecting means from said vehicle reversing detecting means, said signal indicating whether the vehicle is running rearward or not, wherein said viewer is a vehicle driver; i) a head position detecting means for detecting a movement position of the head of the vehicle driver and outputting a signal indicating the movement position of the vehicle driver; j) supporting means for pivotally supporting said pair of camera means so as to face said pair of camera means toward a desired photographing direction; and k) camera position controlling means for pivotally controlling the position of the pair of camera means via said supporting means in response to the signal indicating the movement position of the head of the driver so that the photographing direction of the pair of camera means is controlled in accordance with the head movement direction, wherein said producing means includes a mirror having a function to vary its transmissivity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A visual information supplying apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:
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a) first visually displaying means for displaying a first visual information in a form of a first image against the eyes of a viewer, the first visual information being front scenery with respect to a vehicle body via a front windshield of the vehicle; b) second visually displaying means for displaying second visual information in a form of a three dimensional second image against the eyes of the viewer, the second visual information being provided for the second visually displaying means including visual information for the viewer'"'"'s right eye and visual information for the viewer'"'"'s left eye, wherein said second visually displaying means includes;
pair of video cameras juxtaposed to each other, said pair of video cameras having a mutual spatial distance of their lenses corresponding to a mutual eyeball distance of a human being rotatably supported on the vehicle body so as to photograph outer scenery except the front scenery and a pair of monitors receiving video signals from the pair of cameras and displaying the second image on the screens of the monitors;c) guiding means for selectively guiding either the first image from the first visually displaying means or the second image from the second visually displaying means to the viewer, wherein the screens of the pair of monitors are faced against each other and wherein said guiding means includes;
a pair of mirrors reflecting light rays from the screens of the monitors;
a pair of convex lenses; and
a pair of half mirrors, each half mirror having a variable transmissivity according to its drive voltage; and
a pair of combining glasses for receiving and passing light rays from the first image; and
a pair of ocular windows for receiving light rays from the second image reflected via the half mirrors and light rays from the first image transmitted via said pair of combining glasses and said pair of half mirrors;d) switching signal generating means, coupled to said guiding means, for generating and outputting a switching signal depending on which one of the first and second images is selected to be guided through the guiding means; and e) image controlling means for controlling the guiding means so as to selectively guide either the first image or second image to the viewer on the basis of the switching signal. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification