Circuit for automated control of on-board closed circuit television system having side and rear view cameras

• US 5,530,421 A
• Filed: 04/26/1994
• Issued: 06/25/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Navistar International Transportation Corp. (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Kraft, Anthony J., Marshall, Brian P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US08/233,867
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 340/436, 340/435, 340/460, 340/461, 340/463, 348/118, 348/148, 348/149
• US Class Current: 340/436
• 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 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• 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 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views

Abstract

An automotive vehicle, such as a tractor-trailer, has a closed circuit television system that provides the driver with rear and side views of blind spots that the he or she may otherwise be unable to see. When the vehicle is placed in reverse, the view from the rear camera is forced onto the screen of the video monitor to the exclusion of the side camera, or any other camera connected to the system. The invention provides an automation circuit that is responsive to turn signal and hazard warning signal actuation for causing the side camera to be actively connected to the monitor screen when the turn signal system is actuated to give a turn signal to the same side as that viewed by the side video camera and for preventing the side camera from being actively connected to the monitor screen when the hazard warning system is actuated to give a hazard warning signal.

Claims

1. An automotive vehicle comprising operator controls including a turn signaling system for signaling a right turn by flashing a right lamp means and a left turn by flashing a left lamp means, a hazard warning system for signaling a hazard warning by flashing both said right lamp means and said left lamp means, a gear selector system for selecting a forward gear to cause a vehicle to move forward and a reverse gear to cause the vehicle to move in reverse, and a closed circuit television system comprising a video monitor comprising a screen in view of an operator and a video input port, a rear video camera for observing a field of view to the rear of the vehicle, a side video camera for observing a field of view to one of the right side and the left side of the vehicle, a video switch for selectively connecting said video cameras with said video monitor comprising a first video input port connected with said rear video camera, a second video input port connected with said side video camera, and an output video port connected with said video input port of said monitor, said monitor comprising an on-off switch for selectively connecting and disconnecting the monitor to and from a source of electric power for operating the monitor screen and a mode switch for selecting between a manual mode of operation and an automatic mode of operation, said video switch comprising its own mode switch for selecting between a manual mode of operation and an automatic mode of operation and an input port-enabling switch associated with said second video input port of said video switch for selectively enabling said second video input port of said video switch, characterized by an automation circuit operatively coupling said turn signaling system, said hazard warning system, and said gear selector system with said video switch and said video monitor and comprising means effective when said mode switch of said monitor is in manual mode, said mode switch of said video switch is in automatic mode, said on-off switch of said monitor is on, and said input port-enabling switch of said video switch that is associated with said second video input port of said video switch is enabling said second video input port, for causing said rear video camera to be actively connected to said monitor screen to the exclusion of said side video camera whenever said gear selector system is selecting reverse gear regardless of whether said turn signal system is signaling a turn or said hazard warning system is giving a hazard warning, for causing said side video camera to be actively connected to said monitor screen whenever said turn signal system is signaling a turn to the same side of the vehicle as the side viewed by said side video camera provided that reverse gear is not being selected by said gear selector system, and for preventing said side video camera from being actively connected to said monitor screen whenever said hazard warning system is signaling a hazard warning.

2. An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 1 in which said automation circuit comprises a time delay relay that is energized by the actuation of said turn signal system to indicate a turn to the same side of the vehicle as the side viewed by said side video camera provided that reverse gear is not being selected by said gear selector system, such energization of said time delay relay providing the application of power to said monitor through said monitor'"'"'s on-off switch, said video switch being responsive to the concurrence of said gear selector system not selecting reverse gear and said time delay relay being energized to cause the view of said side video camera to be displayed on said monitor screen.

3. An automotive vehicle as set forth in claim 2 in which said automation circuit comprises means, effective when said hazard warning system is actuated to give a hazard warning signal, to prevent said time delay relay from being energized and consequently prevent said side video camera from being actively connected to said monitor screen.

4. An automotive vehicle comprising operator controls including a turn signaling system for signaling a right turn by flashing a right lamp means and a left turn by flashing a left lamp means, a hazard warning system for signaling a hazard warning by flashing both said right lamp means and said left lamp means, a gear selector system for selecting a forward gear to cause a vehicle to move forward and a reverse gear to cause the vehicle to move in reverse, and a closed circuit television system comprising a video monitor comprising a screen in view of an operator and a video input port, a rear video camera for observing a field of view to the rear of the vehicle, a side video camera for observing a field of view to one of the right side and the left side of the vehicle, a video switch for selectively connecting said video cameras with said video monitor comprising a first video input port connected with said rear video camera, a second video input port connected with said side video camera, and an output video port connected with said video input port of said monitor, characterized by an automation circuit operatively coupling said turn signaling system, said hazard warning system, and said gear selector system with said video switch and said video monitor and comprising means effective for causing said rear video camera to be actively connected to said monitor screen to the exclusion of said side video camera whenever said gear selector system is selecting reverse gear regardless of whether said turn signal system is signaling a turn or said hazard warning system is giving a hazard warning, for causing said side video camera to be actively connected to said monitor screen whenever said turn signal system is signaling a turn to the same side of the vehicle as the side viewed by said side video camera provided that reverse gear is not being selected by said gear selector system, and for preventing said side video camera from being actively connected to said monitor screen whenever said hazard warning system is signaling a hazard warning.

5. An automotive vehicle comprising operator controls including a turn signaling system for signaling a right turn by flashing a right lamp means and a left turn by flashing a left lamp means, a hazard warning system for signaling a hazard warning by flashing both said right lamp means and said left lamp means, a gear selector system for selecting a forward gear to cause a vehicle to move forward and a reverse gear to cause the vehicle to move in reverse, and a closed circuit television system comprising a video monitor comprising a screen in view of an operator and a video input port, a rear video camera for observing a field of view to the rear of the vehicle, a side video camera for observing a field of view to one of the right side and the left side of the vehicle, a video switch for selectively connecting said video cameras with said video monitor comprising a first video input port connected with said rear video camera, a second video input port connected with said side video camera, and an output video port connected with said video input port of said monitor, characterized by an automation circuit operatively coupling said turn signaling system, said hazard warning system, and said gear selector system with said video switch and said video monitor and comprising means effective for causing said rear video camera to be actively connected to said monitor screen to the exclusion of said side video camera whenever said gear selector system is selecting reverse gear regardless of whether said turn signal system is signaling a turn or said hazard warning system is giving a hazard warning, and a time delay relay that is energized to cause said side video camera to be actively connected to said monitor screen whenever said turn signal system is signaling a turn to the same side of the vehicle as the side viewed by said side video camera provided that reverse gear is not being selected by said gear selector system, and that is prevented from being energized whenever said hazard warning system is being operated to give a hazard warning signal to thereby prevent said side camera from being actively connected to said monitor screen whenever said hazard warning system is signaling a hazard warning.