Camera unit and apparatus for monitoring vehicle periphery

• US 7,697,055 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsui, Akinori, Imoto, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, KENT F
• Application Number:
  US10/935,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/335, 348/369, 348/375, 348/220.1, 348/273, 348744-756, 382/276, 382/293, 382/300
• US Class Current: 348/335
• 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 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• 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 2300/40 characterised by the details of the power supply or the coupling to vehicle components
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A camera unit and an apparatus for monitoring a vehicle periphery, which are capable of picking up a wide range of a visual field while adequately adjusting the visual fields in the horizontal and vertical directions, and at the same time, improving visual confirmation of images displayed. The camera unit may include a pickup element, a lens system in which light rays incoming from a prescribed range of a visual field onto the pickup element are imaged, the lens system including a wide-angle lens system whose visual field angle in the horizontal direction is 120 degrees or more, and an anamorphic lens system whose anamorphic ratio is 1.5 or more.

Claims

1. A camera unit for monitoring a vehicle periphery comprising:

a pickup element;

a lens system in which light rays are imaged, the light rays incoming from a prescribed range of a visual field onto the pickup element;

the lens system comprising;

a first lens system which is a wide angle lens system configured to be a fisheye lens and having a visual field angle in a horizontal direction H, where H>

=120°

; and

a second lens system which is an anamorphic lens system having an anamorphic ratio >

=1.5, wherein

with respect to a relationship between an image height of respective image portions on an image formed on the pickup element and an image angle of the light rays made incident to the respective image portions, the lens system is configured such that an amount of change in the image height with respect to a change in the image angle is greater at a peripheral portion of the image than at a center part of the image,

the camera unit is attached to a vehicle and monitors the vehicle periphery, and

the anamorphic lens system enlarges in the vertical direction the image formed on the pickup element.

2. The camera unit of claim 1, wherein the visual field angle in the horizontal direction is such that 180°

<

=H<

=270°

.

3. The camera unit of claim 1, wherein the lens system is configured such that an image height Y of the respective image portions deviating from an image center in the image formed on the pickup element in the horizontal direction and an image angle θ

of the light rays made incident to the respective image portions are such that

Y=pf·

tan(θ

/p)

where 1<

p<

4, and f is a focal distance of the lens system in the horizontal direction.

4. The camera unit of claim 3, wherein p=2.

5. The camera unit of claim 1, wherein the anamorphic lens system contracts in the horizontal direction the image formed on the pickup element.

6. The camera of claim 1, wherein an optical axis of the lens system is eccentric in a vertical direction with respect to a center of the pickup element.

7. An apparatus configured to monitor a vehicle periphery, the apparatus incorporated in a vehicle comprising:

the camera unit of claim 1 which picks up the vehicle periphery;

a display unit which displays an image picked up by the camera unit;

an image processing portion which

executes at least one image process with respect to at least one part of an image picked up by the camera unit;

displays the at least one part of the image;

simultaneously synthesizes a prescribed overlapping image; and

overlaps the prescribed overlapping image onto the picked up image after executing the at least one image process;

a changeover control unit which

controls display timing for displaying the picked up image of the camera unit on the display unit;

selects a display range to be displayed in the display unit in a field range of the camera unit; and

selects a content of the at least one image process on the basis of at least one signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein an optical axis of the lens system of the camera unit is inclined to a ground surface side with respect to the horizontal direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one image process includes enlargement, contraction, movement, rotation or deformation.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one signal includes a vehicle speed signal, a shift position signal, a steering rotation angle signal, a direction-indicator signal, an illumination signal or an obstacle detection signal which is detected by an obstacle detection sensor.

11. An apparatus configured to monitor a vehicle periphery, the apparatus incorporated in a vehicle comprising:

the camera unit of claim 1 which picks up the vehicle periphery;

a display unit which displays an image picked up by the camera unit;

a changeover control portion which changes a plurality of display modes with respect to a display pattern to display the image picked up by the camera unit in the display unit; and

an image processing portion which executes at least one of the image processes including enlargement, contraction, movement, rotation and deformation with respect to an image of at least one partial portion of the picked up image in at least one of the display modes of the changeover control portion.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display modes include a normal display mode set such that the image picked up by the camera unit, which is not subjected to any image process by the image processing portion, is displayed in the display unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display modes include an enlargement display mode set such that the image processing portion enlarges a part of the image picked up by the camera unit, which includes a central portion of the image picked up by the camera unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display modes include a multi-direction image synthesizing display mode set such that the image processing portion enlarges at least one of left and right parts of the image picked up by the camera unit, and displays the at least one of left and right parts of the image by overlapping and synthesizing the at least one of left and right parts of the image on a prescribed partial area of the image of the display unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein

the multi-direction image synthesizing display mode displays at least one of the image which is picked up by the camera unit and which is not subjected to any of the image processes in the image processing portion, and

the image which is picked up by the camera unit wherein the image processing unit enlarges a part including a central part of the picked-up image by overlapping and synthesizing only a partial area of the image.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

an operating element which changes at least one of the plurality of display modes.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the changeover control portion controls a display timing of displaying the image picked up by the camera unit in the display unit,

the changeover control portion selects a display range in which the image picked up by the camera unit is to be displayed in the display unit, and

the changeover control portion selects a content of the at least one of the display processes which are carried out with respect to the picked up image by the image processing portion, on the basis of at least one signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the at least one signal includes a vehicle speed signal, a shift position signal, a steering rotation angle signal, a direction-indicator signal, an illumination signal or an obstacle detection signal which is detected by an obstacle detection sensor.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image processing portion displays, in the display unit, prescribed vehicle information including at least one of a vehicle width, advancing course, and a distance by synthesizing as an overlapping picture.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the camera unit is installed from a rear part of the vehicle toward a rearward middle part of the vehicle.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the changeover control portion selects the multi-direction image synthesizing display mode when the vehicle is driven at a low speed, which is a prescribed speed or less, and the shift position signal is changed to a signal indicating reverse of the vehicle driven at the low speed.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the changeover control portion selects the normal display mode, when a shift position signal is changed to a signal indicating reverse of the vehicle after starting an engine.

23. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the camera unit is installed from a front part of the vehicle toward a forward middle part of the vehicle.

24. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the camera unit is installed from a side part of the vehicle toward a side of the vehicle.

25. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the camera unit is installed at a corner part of the vehicle.

26. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display unit in the normal display mode displays the picked up image which is made anamorphic by the image processing portion.

27. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display unit displays the picked up image which is made anamorphic by the image processing portion by overlapping and synthesizing the picked up image which is made anamorphic on the partial portion.