Drive support display apparatus

• US 7,256,688 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2002
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mizusawa, Kazufumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad; Amr A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pervan; Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/474,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20040150589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 340/461, 345629-641
• US Class Current: 340/461
• 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 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• 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 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8086 for vehicle path indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A driving assistance display apparatus enables the driver to check safety of both the rear of and a limited area around the vehicle in the final stage of parking without switching screens. A screen to display an image of the rear of a vehicle shot by a vehicle-mounted camera is divided into a main screen (10) and a sub-screen (11). A wide area image in the rear of the vehicle is displayed together with superimposed guide lines (15, 16) on the main screen (10) The image is viewpoint-converted to an image having a virtual viewpoint located above the vehicle and is displayed on the sub-screen (11) together with superimposed guide lines (15a, 16a), which are also viewpoint converted, on the sub-screen (11). Preferably, the center axis of the main screen (10) coincides with the center axis of the sub-screen (11) and the sub-screen 11 is arranged below the main screen (10).

Claims

1. A driving assistance display apparatus for displaying an image from the rear of a vehicle shot by an imaging device, said driving assistance display apparatus comprising:

a display control unit for displaying a wide area image from the rear of the vehicle in a main screen area and displaying a viewpoint-converted image of the rear of the vehicle in a sub-screen area,

wherein the main screen area and the sub-screen area is displayed on a same display screen, wherein said display control unit arranges the sub-screen area at the bottom of the main screen area to allow sequential viewing of the main screen and the sub-screen areas, and wherein said display control unit allows the center axis of said main screen area to coincide with the center axis of said sub-screen area.

2. A driving assistance display apparatus for displaying an image from the rear of a vehicle shot by an imaging device, said driving assistance display apparatus comprising:

a display control unit for displaying a wide area image from the rear of the vehicle in a main screen area and displaying a viewpoint-converted image of the rear of the vehicle in a sub-screen area,

wherein the main screen area and the sub-screen area is displayed on a same display screen, wherein said display control unit arranges the sub-screen area at the bottom of the main screen area to allow sequential viewing of the main screen and the sub-screen areas, wherein said display control unit allows the center axis of said main screen area to coincide with the center axis of said sub-screen area, and wherein said display control unit superimposes a guide line to which respective relation corresponds on said main screen area and said sub-screen area.