Method and apparatus for monitoring vehicle rear, and signal processor

• US 7,429,998 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Issued: 09/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Satoh, Noriyuki, Iwano, Hirotaka, Kawauchi, Ryota, Ohki, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US10/253,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20030058338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,197 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/143, 348/61, 348/65, 340/937, 701/200
• US Class Current: 348/148
• 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 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19693 using multiple video sources viewed on a single or compound screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for monitoring a vehicle rear which permits a user to grasp the position of the vehicle concerned easily without a sense of incongruity even in the case where plural display modes on a monitor are provided and switched from one to another.

The vehicle rear monitoring method comprises displaying a vehicle on one side of a monitor and displaying a rear image of the vehicle on an opposite side of the monitor, and displaying the vehicle on the opposite side of the monitor and displaying the rear image of the vehicle on the one side of the monitor, and switching from said one display to said other display on the monitor.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a vehicle rear wherein an image of a rear of a vehicle picked up by one or more cameras mounted on the vehicle and an image of objects in a vicinity of said vehicle rear picked up by the one or more cameras are subjected to an image processing and the multiple images after the image processing are displayed in real time on a single monitor, the method comprising:

providing one of a first and second display on a single monitor, wherein the first display is an image of said vehicle rear on one side of said single monitor and an image of objects in the vicinity of said vehicle rear on the other side of said single monitor, and the second display is an inverted image of the first display; and

enabling changing from the first display to the second display on said single monitor,

wherein the first display includes displaying said vehicle rear on an upper position of said monitor and displaying the image of objects in the vicinity of said vehicle rear on a lower position of said monitor, and

wherein the second display includes displaying said vehicle rear on the lower position of said monitor and displaying the image of objects in the vicinity of said vehicle rear on the upper position of said monitor.

2. A method for monitoring a vehicle rear as in claim 1, wherein the first and second displays are displayed in an oblique visual field.

3. An apparatus for monitoring a vehicle rear wherein an image of a rear of a vehicle picked up by one or more cameras mounted on the vehicle and an image of objects in a vicinity of said vehicle rear picked up by the one or more cameras mounted on the vehicle are subjected to an image processing and the images after the image processing are displayed in real time on a single monitor, the apparatus comprising:

a single monitor displaying one of a first and second display, wherein the first display is an image of said vehicle rear on one side of said single monitor and an image of objects in the vicinity of said vehicle rear on the other side of said single monitor, and the second display is an inverted image of the first display,

the first display and the second display being changeable on said single monitor,

wherein the first display screen is configured to display said vehicle rear on an upper position of said monitor and display the image of objects in a vicinity of said vehicle rear on a lower position of said monitor, and

wherein the second display screen is configured to display said vehicle rear on the lower position of said monitor and display the image of objects in the vicinity of said vehicle rear on the upper position of said monitor.

4. An apparatus for monitoring a vehicle rear as in claim 3, wherein the first and second displays are displayed in an oblique visual field.