Driving support device, driving support method and computer program

• US 8,089,512 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Okabe, Hidefumi, Kokuryuu, Tomoyuki, Takagi, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B.
• Application Number:
  US12/232,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20090086019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/118
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/25 to the sides of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/202 displaying a blind spot scene on the vehicle part responsible for the blind spot
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views

Abstract

A driving support device, a driving support method, and a computer program provide an image of the peripheral environment of a vehicle which is captured by a camera. The traveling state of the vehicle is obtained and, based on same, a blind spot region for a driver created by a right front pillar, as it would appear after a predetermined period of time, is calculated by taking into consideration the time lag between capture of an image by the camera and projection of that image by a projector. An image corresponding to the calculated blind spot region is extracted from the image captured by the camera, and the extracted image is projected onto the inside surface of the right front pillar.

Claims

1. A driving support device, comprising:

an imaging unit which captures an image of a peripheral area of a vehicle;

a traveling state obtaining unit for obtaining, as a traveling state of the vehicle, vehicle direction and distance traveled or vehicle direction and vehicle speed detected by sensors provided in the vehicle;

a location predicting unit which predicts a location of the vehicle at the end of a predetermined period of time, based on the obtained traveling state of the vehicle;

a blind spot region calculating unit which calculates a blind spot of the vehicle as it will exist at the predicted location;

an image extracting unit for extracting an image from the captured image based on the obtained traveling state of the vehicle, the extracted image corresponding to a blind spot region of the vehicle as it will exist after the predetermined period of time; and

an image outputting unit for outputting the extracted image.

2. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined period of time is a period of time from when the image of the peripheral area is captured by the imaging unit to when the captured image is output by the image outputting unit.

3. The driving support device according to claim 2, wherein

the image extracting unit extracts the image corresponding to a blind spot region created by a pillar of the vehicle;

and

the image outputting unit outputs the extracted image for display on an interior surface of the pillar of the vehicle.

4. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein

the image extracting unit extracts the image corresponding to a blind spot region created by a pillar of the vehicle;

and

the image outputting unit outputs the extracted image for display on an interior surface of the pillar of the vehicle.

5. A driving support method, comprising:

capturing an image of an area on the periphery of a vehicle;

detecting vehicle direction and distance traveled or vehicle direction and vehicle speed, as a detected traveling state of the vehicle, based on results of detection performed by sensors provided in the vehicle;

predicting a location of the vehicle after a predetermined period of time based on the detected traveling state of the vehicle;

calculating a blind spot region of the vehicle as it will exist at the predicted location;

extracting an image from the captured image, the extracted image corresponding to the blind spot region of the vehicle as it will be after the predetermined period of time; and

outputting the extracted image.