Driving support device

• US 6,476,731 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakakibara, Seiji, Miki, Nobuaki, Ishigaki, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/601,247
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/903, 340/904, 340/901, 340/988, 340/990, 340/461, 701/25, 701/41, 701/70, 701/72, 348/116, 348/118, 348/148
• US Class Current: 340/937
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/005 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/007 providing information about the distance to an obstacle, e.g. varying sound
• 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 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8086 for vehicle path indication
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The invention makes it possible to acquire the dead angle (dead spot) information as images properly related to the field of view of a driver by an arrangement of image pickup units. There is provided a driver assist system including one or more image pickup units, a control unit for processing the taken picture, and a monitor for displaying the processed picture. The image pickup unit is so disposed over a corner of the vehicle by directing its optical axis in such a direction that the corner of the vehicle, an external field at least in the vicinity of the corner and infinity may be seen in one display screen.

Claims

1. A driver assist system for mounting on a body of a vehicle and for providing a driver of the vehicle with a video camera image of an area in the vicinity of the vehicle body, said driver assist system comprising:

at least one image pickup unit mounted at the front or rear of the vehicle body and oriented with its optical axis vertically inclined relative to a reference orientation, so as to provide the video camera image simultaneously including a front or rear outermost edge portion of the vehicle and an area extending longitudinally from the vehicle, said reference orientation having the optical axis directed vertically downward and providing an image with an upper portion looking in a direction in line with forward travel of the vehicle; and

a display unit for display of the video camera image to the driver.

2. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said image pickup unit is oriented with its optical axis substantially within a vertical plane containing a straight line of sight from the driver toward the image pickup unit.

3. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said video camera image extends through a vertical angle from a point on the ground vertically aligned with the one image pickup unit to infinity in line with forward travel of the vehicle, said image including a blind area of ground which is contiguous with the vehicle, which extends outward from the vehicle and which cannot be directly seen by the driver.

4. A driver assist system for mounting on a body of a vehicle and for providing a driver of the vehicle with a video camera image of an area in the vicinity of the vehicle body, said driver assist system comprising:

at least one image pickup unit mounted at the right or left of the vehicle body and oriented with its optical axis vertically inclined relative to a reference orientation, so as to provide the video camera image simultaneously including a left or right side outermost edge portion of the vehicle and an area extending transversely from the vehicle, said reference orientation having the optical axis directed vertically downward and providing an image with an upper portion being a view looking in a direction in line with forward travel of the vehicle; and

a display unit for display of the video camera image to the driver.

5. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said image pickup unit is oriented with its optical axis substantially within a vertical plane containing a straight line of sight from the driver toward the image pickup unit.

6. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said video camera image extends through a vertical angle from a point on the ground vertically aligned with the one image pickup unit to infinity in line with forward travel of the vehicle, said image including a blind area of ground which is contiguous with the vehicle, which extends outward from the vehicle and which cannot be directly seen by the driver.

7. A driver assist system for mounting on a body of a vehicle and for providing a driver of the vehicle with a video camera image of an area in the vicinity of the vehicle body, said driver assist system comprising:

at least one image pickup unit, mounted at a corner of the vehicle body and oriented with its optical axis vertically and transversely inclined relative to a reference orientation, so as to provide the video camera image simultaneously including an outermost corner edge portion of the vehicle and an area extending longitudinally and transversely from the vehicle, said reference orientation having the optical axis directed vertically downward and providing an image with an upper portion looking in a direction in line with forward travel of the vehicle; and

a display unit for display of the video camera image to the driver.

8. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said image pickup unit is rotated on its optical axis so that the corner edge portion of the vehicle in the video camera image is in alignment with the corner on the opposite side of the vehicle.

9. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said image pickup unit is oriented with its optical axis substantially within a vertical plane containing a straight line of sight from the driver toward the image pickup unit.

10. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said image pickup unit is oriented with its optical axis substantially within a vertical plane containing a straight line of sight from the driver toward the image pickup unit.

11. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said video camera image extends through a vertical angle from a point on the ground vertically aligned with the one image pickup unit to infinity in line with forward travel of the vehicle, said image including a blind area of ground which is contiguous with the vehicle, which extends outward from the vehicle and which cannot be directly seen by the driver.

12. A driver assist system comprising an image pickup unit disposed on a vehicle for taking an image providing information on environment of the vehicle;

a control unit for processing the image taken by said image pickup unit; and

a monitor for displaying the picture processed by said control unit, wherein

said image pickup unit is disposed over a corner of the vehicle with its optical axis directed to provide the image simultaneously including the corner of the vehicle, the environment at least in the vicinity of said corner and infinity as a single picture on one screen.

13. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said infinity is displayed across an entire transverse width of the monitor.

14. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said control unit includes predicted locus synthesizing means for superimposing a locus of predicted movement starting from the outermost corner edge of the vehicle, according to a steering angle, over the display of the processed picture on the monitor.

15. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said predicted locus is synthesized according to whether the transmission of the vehicle is in a forward range or a reverse range.

16. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said control unit includes display picture switching means for automatically switching the picture to be displayed on the monitor, by deciding the forward/reverse based on the selected range and by deciding necessity for switching based on at least one of the steering angle and road information obtained from a navigation system.

17. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said control unit includes release means for releasing the automatic display switching of the picture when lack of necessity is decided.

18. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said control unit includes warning means for notifying the driver that auxiliary information is available which is not contained in the information obtained from the picture displayed on the monitor.

19. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said control unit includes display picture selecting means for automatically displaying the pictures taken by the image pickup units, disposed at two opposing corners of the vehicle, responsive to a determination that a distance between an obstacle and one of the corners of the vehicle is no more than a predetermined value.

20. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said control unit includes criterion distance synthesizing means for superimposing a criterion distance line indicating spatial distance from the two vehicle corners in the picture displayed on the monitor.

21. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said control unit includes contour synthesizing means for superimposing a contour of the vehicle on the picture displayed on the monitor.

22. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said infinity extends across the front face of the vehicle, and said front face infinity is displayed over the corner of the vehicle on the monitor.

23. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 22, wherein said image pickup unit is oriented so that the front face infinity of the vehicle is horizontal in the display on the monitor.

24. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 12, wherein two of said image pickup units are disposed at transversely opposite positions on the vehicle with their optical axes inclined in transversely opposite directions with respect to the vehicle.

25. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said image pickup unit is oriented with its optical axis substantially within a vertical plane containing a straight line joining the driver and the image pickup unit.

26. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 12, wherein two of said image pickup units are respectively disposed at left and right corners of the vehicle.

27. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 26, wherein one of the image pickup units is oriented with its optical axis substantially within a vertical plane containing a straight line joining the driver and the image pickup unit, whereas a second image pickup unit is disposed and oriented symmetric with the one image pickup unit, relative to a longitudinal center axis of the vehicle.

28. A driver assist system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said video camera image extends through a vertical angle from a point on the ground vertically aligned with the one image pickup unit to infinity in line with forward travel of the vehicle, said image including a blind area of ground which is contiguous with the vehicle, which extends outward from the vehicle and which cannot be directly seen by the driver.