Object detecting system

• US 7,720,375 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yokoo, Masato, Hakomori, Yuu, Aoki, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): BLACKMAN, ROCHELLE ANN J
• Application Number:
  US11/710,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20070223910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 396/301, 396/322, 396/325, 396/419, 396/429, 348/47, 348/51, 348/115, 348/118, 348/148, 348/159
• US Class Current: 396/301
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0134 responsive to imminent contact with an obstacle , e.g. using radar systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0152 using strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01538 for image processing, e.g. cameras or sensor arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/00 Scenes; Scene-specific elements control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An object detecting system includes a plurality of photographing mechanisms that are used to detect information about objects inside and outside a vehicle. An object detecting system is installed in a vehicle and comprises a first camera and a second camera to obtain information about objects inside and outside the vehicle. They system further includes a controller for conducting controls to detect information about an object and an electrical power unit to supply electrical power from a vehicle battery to the respective cameras. At least one of the controller and the electrical power unit is shared by the first camera and the second camera.

Claims

1. An object detecting system comprising:

a first photographing mechanism for photographing an object in a first area, and a second photographing mechanism for photographing an object in a second area different from the first area, the first area being one of an area inside or outside the vehicle, and the second area being an area inside or outside the vehicle;

a control mechanism to detect information about the objects based on images of the objects taken by the respective first and second photographing mechanisms; and

an electrical power mechanism which is disposed between a vehicle battery and the respective photographing mechanisms to supply electrical power from the vehicle battery to each photographing mechanism,

wherein at least one of the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism,

wherein the control mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism, and the control mechanism varies the occupancy rates of object detecting capacity by the respective photographing mechanisms based on at least one of information about the detected object(s) and information about the vehicle.

2. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism of which timings of using a maximum current are different from each other, and the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the first photographing mechanism is different from the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the second photographing mechanism.

3. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area inside the vehicle as the first area and the second photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area outside the vehicle as the second area, and

wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first photographing mechanism is higher than that by the second photographing mechanism when the vehicle is stopped, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate by the second photographing mechanism is higher than that in the first setting mode when the vehicle is running.

4. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area including a driver seat inside the vehicle as the first area and the second photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area including a front passenger seat inside the vehicle as the second area, and

wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first photographing mechanism is higher than that by the second photographing mechanism when the motion of an occupant of the driver seat is larger than that of an occupant of the front passenger seat, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the second photographing mechanism is higher than that by the first photographing mechanism when the motion of an occupant of the front passenger seat is larger than that of an occupant of the driver seat.

5. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism each comprise a 3-D camera capable of detecting a three-dimensional profile of an object.

6. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a housing section for accommodating the first photographing mechanism and a housing section for accommodating the second photographing mechanism are composed of a single casing.

7. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the object detecting system is structured as a single unit in which the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism are also accommodated in the single casing accommodating the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism.

8. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the single unit is mounted to an area around a side mirror or an area around an inner rearview mirror among respective components of the vehicle.

9. An actuating device comprising:

an object detecting system;

a subject to be actuated; and

an actuation control mechanism to control the actuation of the subject to be actuated based on information detected by the control mechanism of the object detecting system,

wherein the object detecting system includes;

a first photographing mechanism for photographing an object in a first area, and a second photographing mechanism for photographing an object in a second area different from the first area, the first area being one of an area inside or outside the vehicle, and the second area being an area inside or outside the vehicle;

a control mechanism to detect information about the objects based on images of the objects taken by the respective first and second photographing mechanisms; and

an electrical power mechanism which is disposed between a vehicle battery and the respective photographing mechanisms to supply electrical power from the vehicle battery to each photographing mechanism,

wherein at least one of the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism,

wherein the control mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism, and the control mechanism varies the occupancy rates of object detecting capacity by the respective photographing mechanisms based on at least one of information about the detected object(s) and information about the vehicle.

10. The actuating device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism of which timings of using a maximum current are different from each other, and the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the first photographing mechanism is different from the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the second photographing mechanism.

11. The actuating device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area inside the vehicle as the first area and the second photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area outside the vehicle as the second area, and

wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first photographing mechanism is higher than that by the second photographing mechanism when the vehicle is stopped, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate by the second photographing mechanism is higher than that in the first setting mode when the vehicle is running.

12. The actuating device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area including a driver seat inside the vehicle as the first area and the second photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area including a front passenger seat inside the vehicle as the second area, and

wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first photographing mechanism is higher than that by the second photographing mechanism when the motion of an occupant of the driver seat is larger than that of an occupant of the front passenger seat, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the second photographing mechanism is higher than that by the first photographing mechanism when the motion of an occupant of the front passenger seat is larger than that of an occupant of the driver seat.

13. The actuating device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism each comprise a 3-D camera capable of detecting a three-dimensional profile of an object.

14. The actuating device as claimed in claim 9, wherein a housing section for accommodating the first photographing mechanism and a housing section for accommodating the second photographing mechanism are composed of a single casing.

15. The actuating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the object detecting system is structured as a single unit in which the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism are also accommodated in the single casing accommodating the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism.

16. The actuating device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the single unit is mounted to an area around a side mirror or an area around an inner rearview mirror among respective components of the vehicle.

17. A vehicle, comprising:

an engine/running system;

an electrical system;

an actuation control device to actuate the engine/running system and the electrical system;

a vehicle battery; and

an object detecting mechanism for detecting information about a plurality of objects in areas inside and outside a vehicle, wherein the object detecting mechanism comprises an object detecting system that includes;

a first camera for photographing an object in a first area, and a second camera for photographing an object in a second area different from the first area, the first area being one of an area inside or outside the vehicle, and the second area being an area inside or outside the vehicle;

a control mechanism to detect information about the objects based on images of the objects taken by the respective first and second cameras; and

an electrical power mechanism which is disposed between the vehicle battery and the respective cameras to supply electrical power from the vehicle battery to each camera,

wherein at least one of the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first camera and the second camera,

wherein the control mechanism is shared by the first camera and the second camera, and the control mechanism varies the occupancy rates of object detecting capacity by the respective cameras based on at least one of information about the detected object(s) and information about the vehicle.

18. The vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first camera and the second camera of which timings of using a maximum current are different from each other, and the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the first camera is different from the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the second camera.

19. The vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first camera forms a viewing field toward an area inside the vehicle as the first area and the second camera forms a viewing field toward an area outside the vehicle as the second area, and

wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first camera is higher than that by the second camera when the vehicle is stopped, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate by the second camera is higher than that in the first setting mode when the vehicle is running.

20. The vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first camera forms a viewing field toward an area including a driver seat inside the vehicle as the first area and the second camera forms a viewing field toward an area including a front passenger seat inside the vehicle as the second area, and

wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first camera is higher than that by the second camera when the motion of an occupant of the driver seat is larger than that of an occupant of the front passenger seat, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the second camera is higher than that by the first camera when the motion of an occupant of the front passenger seat is larger than that of an occupant of the driver seat.

21. The vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first camera and the second camera each comprise a 3-D camera capable of detecting a three-dimensional profile of an object.

22. The vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein a housing section for accommodating the first camera and a housing section for accommodating the second camera are composed of a single casing.

23. The vehicle as claimed in claim 22, wherein the object detecting system is structured as a single unit in which the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism are also accommodated in the single casing accommodating the first camera and the second camera.

24. The vehicle as claimed in claim 23, wherein the single unit is mounted to an area around a side mirror or an area around an inner rearview mirror among respective components of the vehicle.