Video image transfer device and display system including the device

• US 8,384,825 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Toshiya, Okamoto, Toshiya, Takemura, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): GEBRIEL, SELAM T
• Application Number:
  US12/066,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20090046990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,427 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.11, 348/153, 348/148, 348/211.99, 348/211.13, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 348/384.1
• 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 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0435 Change or adaptation of the frame rate of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A video image transfer device includes a transfer section arranged to selectively transfer to a display device a plurality of video signals acquired from at least one image pickup device, an assigning section arranged to divide a refresh rate of the display device into portions and assign the portions among the plurality of video signals, and a transfer controller arranged to control the transfer section in such a manner that each of the video signals is transferred to the display device at a timing according to the portion of the refresh rate assigned to each of the video signals. This makes it possible to prevent a dropped frame and an insufficient resolution of an important video image.

Claims

1. A video image transfer device for acquiring, from at least one image pickup device, a plurality of video signals of different imaging areas, and outputting the plurality of video signals to a display device, so that the display device will simultaneously display the video signals as a plurality of video images, the video image transfer device comprising:

a transfer section arranged to selectively transfer to the display device the plurality of video signals acquired from at least the one image pickup device;

an assigning section arranged to divide a refresh rate of the display device into different portions and assign the different portions to respective ones of the plurality of video images;

a transfer controller arranged to control the transfer section in such a manner that each of the video signals is transferred to the display device at a timing according to the portion of the refresh rate assigned to the video image corresponding to each of the video signals; and

the assigning section is arranged to alter how much of the refresh rate is assigned to each of the video images;

wherein

the assigning section is arranged to obtain condition information indicating a state of motion of the at least one image pickup device and to, according to the obtained condition information, alter how much of the refresh rate is assigned to each of the plurality of video signals.

3. The video image transfer device of claim 1, wherein the transfer section is arranged to acquire the plurality of video signals respectively from the plurality of image pickup devices.

4. The video image transfer device of claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of holding sections arranged to respectively hold the plurality of video signals acquired from the plurality of image pickup devices;

the transfer section is arranged to selectively transfer to the display device the plurality of video signals held in the plurality of holding sections.

5. The video image transfer device of claim 1, wherein the transfer section is arranged to select, from the plurality of video signals acquired from the image pickup devices, which video signal is transferred to the display device.

6. The video image transfer device of claim 5, wherein the transfer section is arranged to obtain condition information indicating a condition in a surrounding area of the image pickup device and to, according to the obtained condition information indicating the condition in the surrounding area, select the video signal to be transferred to the display device.

7. The video image transfer device of claim 1, wherein the transfer section is arranged to change a video image size of the video signal to be transferred to the display device.

8. The video image transfer device of claim 7, wherein the transfer section is arranged to obtain condition information indicating a condition in a surrounding area of the image pickup device and to, according to the obtained condition information indicating the condition in the surrounding area, change a video image size of the video signal to be transferred to the display device.

9. The video image transfer device of claim 1, wherein:

the transfer section is arranged to receive the video signal from the image pickup device provided to a vehicle; and

the condition information indicating the state of motion of the image pickup device includes running condition information indicating how a vehicle, on which the image pickup device is mounted, is moving.

10. A display system, comprising:

a video image transfer device of claim 1; and

a display device arranged to display the video signals transferred from the video image transfer device as video images.

11. The display system of claim 10, wherein the display system is used in a vehicle.

2. A video image transfer device for acquiring, from at least one image pickup device, a plurality of video signals of different imaging areas, and outputting the plurality of video signals to a display device, so that the display device will simultaneously display the video signals as a plurality of video images, the video image transfer device comprising:

a transfer section arranged to selectively transfer to the display device the plurality of video signals acquired from at least the one image pickup device;

an assigning section arranged to divide an input bandwidth of the display device into different portions and assign the different portions to respective ones of the plurality of video signals;

a transfer controller arranged to control the transfer section in such a manner that each of the video signals may be transferred to the display device at a timing according to the portion of the input bandwidth assigned to each of the video signals; and

the assigning section being arranged to alter how much the input bandwidth is assigned to each of the video signals;

wherein

the assigning section is arranged to obtain condition information indicating a state of motion of the at least one image pickup device and to, according to the obtained condition information, alter how much of the input bandwidth is assigned to each of the plurality of video signals.

12. The video image transfer device of claim 2, wherein the transfer section is arranged to acquire the plurality of video signals respectively from the plurality of image pickup devices.

13. The video image transfer device of claim 12, further comprising:

a plurality of holding sections arranged to respectively hold the plurality of video signals acquired from the plurality of image pickup devices; and

the transfer section is arranged to selectively transfer to the display device the plurality of video signals held in the plurality of holding sections.

14. The video image transfer device of claim 2, wherein the transfer section is arranged to select, from the plurality of video signals acquired from the image pickup devices, which video signal is transferred to the display device.

15. The video image transfer device of claim 14, wherein the transfer section is arranged to obtain condition information indicating a condition in a surrounding area of the image pickup device and to, according to the obtained condition information indicating the condition in the surrounding area of the image pickup device, select the video signal to be transferred to the display device.

16. The video image transfer device of claim 2, wherein the transfer section is arranged to change a video image size of the video signal to be transferred to the display device.

17. The video image transfer device of claim 16, wherein the transfer section is arranged to obtain condition information indicating a condition in a surrounding area of the image pickup device and to, according to the obtained condition information indicating the condition in the surrounding area of the image pickup device, change a video image size of the video signal to be transferred to the display device.

18. The video image transfer device of claim 2, wherein:

the transfer section is arranged to receive the video signal from the image pickup device provided to a vehicle; and

the condition information indicating the state of motion of the image pickup device includes running condition information indicating how a vehicle, on which the image pickup device is mounted, is moving.

19. A display system, comprising:

a video image transfer device of claim 2; and

a display device arranged to display the video signals transferred from the video image transfer device as video images.

20. The display system of claim 19, wherein the display system is used in a vehicle.