Image display device

• US 8,878,934 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Keigo, Nagamine, Noboru, Matsuba, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Holder, Anner
• Assistant Examiner(s): Itskovich, Mikhail
• Application Number:
  US13/581,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• 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 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/307 virtually distinguishing relevant parts of a scene from the background of the scene
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/028 Guided parking by providing commands to the driver, e.g. acoustically or optically
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Disclosed is an image display device that allows intuitive guidance of a vehicle body based on an assisting image displaced in a screen. The image display device includes an image processing section for displaying a captured image of a rear camera on a monitor. This image processing section includes a synthesis processing unit for displaying a perspective image providing a perspective in superposition over the captured image being displayed on the monitor and a display mode setting unit that realizes selection between a viewing field-fixed mode for displaying the perspective image in superposition with the perspective image being fixed within a viewing field of the monitor and a road surface-fixed mode for displaying the perspective image in superposition with allowing scrolling thereof in unison with a road surface.

Claims

1. An image display device comprising:

a camera mounted on a vehicle body for capturing an image of the surrounding of the vehicle body;

a non-transitory computer readable recording medium containing software; and

an image processor for executing the software to cause the captured image of the camera to be displayed on a monitor mounted on the vehicle body,

to generate a perspective image which is a computer-generated grid graphic that reflects the perspective of the captured image of the camera, and

to execute a processing in a road surface-fixed mode in which

the perspective image is overlaid on the captured image, is stationary with respect to the road surface in the captured image, and is displayed in a non-fixed manner when the vehicle body moves so as to be scrolled in association with a movement of the vehicle body and this scrolled perspective image is displayed in superposition over the captured image on the monitor,

wherein the image processor generates a plane measure image including a partitioning image which partitions a virtual plane corresponding to the road surface in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by a predetermined interval and converts this plane measure image into the perspective image that reflects the perceived perspective of the captured image of the camera.

2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein there is set a processing in a viewing field-fixed mode for displaying on the monitor the perspective image in superposition with the perspective image being fixed within a displaying area of the monitor and the image processor selectively effects one of the road surface-fixed mode and the viewing field-fixed mode.

3. The image display device according to claim 2, wherein there is provided a selection button for selecting, with an operation, one of the processing in the road surface-fixed mode and the processing in the viewing field-fixed mode.

4. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the image processor executes the software stored in the non-transitory computer readable recording medium to further

change the mode of displaying of an area where a ground object is present in the perspective image to a mode different from that of an area where no ground object is detected, in case the ground object is detected by an obstacle sensor in the road surface-fixed mode.

5. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the image processor is configured to display the perspective image on the monitor only at nighttime.

6. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the image processor sets higher transparency for the perspective image at the time of moving of the vehicle body than at the time of stopped state of the vehicle body.

7. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the image processor sets higher brightness for the perspective image at nighttime as compared with daytime.

8. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the image processor progressively lowers the visibility for an area in the perspective image which area is farther from the vehicle body.