Vehicle monitoring apparatus

• US 7,015,828 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2004
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kanaoka, Akihiro, Ue, Takashi, Ueminami, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blount, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/822,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20040257443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 340/937
• US Class Current: 340/937
• 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 1/25 to the sides of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/404 triggering from stand-by mode to operation mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views

Abstract

To display road situations on front left and front right sides of a vehicle, and so on without fail as a camera video image in an interior of the vehicle. In the case that a running speed of the vehicle is changed along an almost U-shaped line I as indicated by arrows, an image picked up by a vehicle-equipped camera is displayed on a monitor screen in the interior at a display starting speed Vd or less (an arrow B) and display of the monitor screen is executed surely at a speed Vmin or less (an arrow F) during the deceleration, while the display of the monitor screen is stopped at a non-displaying speed Vu or more (an arrow C) and the display of the monitor screen is stopped surely at a speed Vmax or more (an arrow E) during the acceleration.

Claims

1. A vehicle monitoring apparatus comprising:

a camera mounted on a vehicle to pick up a surrounding image of the vehicle; and

a monitor screen provided to an interior of the vehicle to display the image picked up by the camera,

wherein the monitor screen is operated when the vehicle is decelerated to a first speed or less, an operation of the monitor screen is stopped when the vehicle is accelerated to a second speed or more that is lower than the first speed, and the operation of the monitor screen is stopped when the vehicle is accelerated to a third speed or more that is higher than the first speed during an operation of the monitor screen.

2. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the operation of the monitor screen is stopped by accelerating the vehicle to the second speed or more, the monitor screen is operated when the vehicle is decelerated to a fourth speed or less that is lower than the second speed.

3. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the monitor screen is stopped when a running speed of the vehicle which is between the first speed and a fourth speed that is lower than the second speed is kept for a predetermined time period during the operation of the monitor screen.

4. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein supply of a power to the camera is started automatically when the vehicle is decelerated to a fifth speed or less that is higher than the third speed.

5. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein supply of a power to the camera is stopped automatically when the vehicle is accelerated to a sixth speed or more that is higher than the third speed.

6. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein supply of a power to the camera is started automatically when the vehicle is decelerated to a fifth speed or less that is higher than the third speed, and supply of a power to the camera is stopped automatically when the vehicle is accelerated to a sixth speed or more that is higher than the fifth speed.

7. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera picks up images of front left side and front right side of the vehicle.

8. A vehicle monitoring apparatus comprising:

a camera mounted on a vehicle to pick up a surrounding image of the vehicle; and

a monitor screen provided to an interior of the vehicle to display the image picked up by the camera,

wherein the monitor screen is operated when the vehicle is decelerated to a first speed or less, an operation of the monitor screen is stopped when the vehicle is accelerated to a second speed or more that is lower than the first speed, and the monitor screen is operated when the vehicle is decelerated to a fourth speed or less that is lower than the second speed while an operation of the monitor screen is stopped by accelerating the vehicle to the second speed or more.

9. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the operation of the monitor screen is stopped when a running speed of the vehicle which is between the first speed and the fourth speed is kept for a predetermined time period during the operation of the monitor screen.

10. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein supply of a power to the camera is started automatically when the vehicle is decelerated to a fifth speed or less that is higher than the first speed.

11. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein supply of a power to the camera is stopped automatically when the vehicle is accelerated to a sixth speed or more that is higher than the fifth speed.

12. The vehicle monitoring apparatus comprising:

a camera mounted on a vehicle to pick up a surrounding image of the vehicle; and

a monitor screen provided to an interior of the vehicle to display the image picked up by the camera,

wherein the monitor screen is operated when the vehicle is decelerated to a first speed or less, an operation of the monitor screen is stopped when the vehicle is accelerated to a second speed or more from an area of the second speed or less that is lower than the first speed, and the operation of the monitor screen is stopped when the vehicle is accelerated to a third speed or more that is higher than the first speed before the speed reaches the second speed or less after the monitor screen is operated by decelerating the vehicle to the first speed or less.

13. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 12, wherein after the operation of the monitor screen is stopped by accelerating the vehicle to the second speed or more, the monitor screen is operated when the vehicle is decelerated to a forth speed or less that is lower than the second speed before the speed reaches the first speed or more.

14. A vehicle monitoring apparatus comprising:

a camera mounted on a vehicle to pick up a surrounding image of the vehicle; and

a monitor screen provided to an interior of the vehicle to display the image picked up by the camera,

wherein the monitor screen is operated when the vehicle is decelerated to a first speed or less, an operation of the monitor screen is stopped when the vehicle is accelerated to a second speed or more that is lower than the first speed, and the operation of the monitor screen is stopped when a running speed of the vehicle which is between the first speed and a fourth speed that is lower than the second speed is kept for a predetermined time period during the operation of the monitor screen.

15. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 14, wherein supply of a power to the camera is started automatically when the vehicle is decelerated to a fifth speed or less that is higher than the first speed.

16. The vehicle monitoring apparatus according to claim 15, wherein supply of a power to the camera is stopped automatically when the vehicle is accelerated to a sixth speed or more that is higher than the fifth speed.