Vehicle perimeter monitor

• US 8,958,977 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
• Inventors: Yanagawa, Hirohiko, Ootsuka, Hideki, Imanishi, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASS, JEAN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US13/150,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20110301846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 701/301
• US Class Current: 701/301
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A vehicle perimeter monitor includes: a shooting device mounted on a vehicle for shooting an image of an outside of the vehicle; a controller including a detector and a generator, wherein the detector sets a detection line in a shot image, and detects a change amount of brightness of a picture cell on the detection line so that the detector detects movement of a moving object along with the detection line, and wherein the generator generates information display according to a detection result of the moving object; and a display for displaying the shot image and the information display.

Claims

1. A vehicle perimeter monitor comprising:

an image capture device mounted on a vehicle for shooting an image of an outside of the vehicle;

a controller including a detector and a generator, wherein the detector sets a detection line in a shot image, and detects a change amount of brightness of a picture cell on the detection line so that the detector detects movement of a moving object along with the detection line, and wherein the generator generates information display according to a detection result of the moving object; and

a display for displaying the shot image and the information display, wherein

the detector detects that the moving object is disposed at a position of the picture cell when the change amount of brightness of the picture cell on the detection line is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, the detector monitors the position of the moving object temporally, and the detector detects a moving direction of the moving object based on a temporal change of the position, and the detector sets the detection line in accordance with a distortion of the shot image that is shot by the image capture device,

the detector sets the detection line, which connects between a right side middle point and a left side middle point in the shot image, and

the detection line is a distorted curved line.

2. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the detector calculates an actual distance between the vehicle and the moving object.

3. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the generator generates the information display in such a manner that a marker is arranged from an edge of the shot image to a point corresponding to the position of the moving object, and the marker is arranged along with a first side of the shot image.

4. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the generator generates the information display in such a manner that a marker is arranged along with a second side of the shot image when the moving direction of the moving object directs from the second side to another side of the shot image.

5. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the detector determines based on the position and the moving direction of the moving object whether the moving object approaches the vehicle,

wherein the generator generates the information display when the detector determines that the moving object approaches the vehicle, and

wherein the generator stops generating the information display when the detector determines that the moving object moves away from the vehicle.

6. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the generator changes a feature of the information display in accordance with the position of the moving object or a distance between the vehicle and the moving object.

7. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the detector monitors the position of the moving object temporally,

wherein the detector detects a moving speed of the moving object based on a temporal change of the position, and

wherein the generator changes a feature of the information display in accordance with the moving speed of the moving object.

8. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 6,

wherein the feature of the information display is at least one of a color, a width and a blinking interval of the information display.

9. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the detector sets the detection line, which is connected between two points on the shot image.

10. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the image capture device includes a wide lens.

11. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the controller further includes a speed information detector for detecting information about a speed of the vehicle, and

wherein the detector temporarily stops detecting the change amount of brightness of the picture cell on the detection line, or the generator temporarily stops generating the information display when the speed of the vehicle is equal to or larger than a predetermined speed.

12. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the controller further includes a speed information detector for detecting information about a speed of the vehicle,

wherein the controller calculates a moving distance of the vehicle based on the speed of the vehicle,

wherein the detector temporarily stops detecting the change amount of brightness of the picture cell on the detection line, or the generator temporarily stops generating the information display when the moving distance of the vehicle is equal to or larger than a predetermined distance.

13. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1,

wherein the image capture device shoots a rear view image of the vehicle,

wherein the controller further includes a gear position detector for detecting information of a gear position of the vehicle,

wherein the detector starts to detect the change amount of brightness of the picture cell on the detection line, and the generator generates the information display when the gear position of the vehicle is a reverse gear position.

14. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1, wherein the detection line is a single curved line.

15. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1, wherein the detection line is disposed along a distortion of the shot image.

16. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 1, wherein the right side middle point is disposed at a center of a right side of the shot image, and

the left side middle point is disposed at a center of a left side of the shot image.

17. A vehicular perimeter monitor controller connected to an image capture device mounted on a vehicle for shooting an image of an outside of the vehicle and a display device mounted on the vehicle for displaying a shot image and information display, the vehicle perimeter monitor controller comprising:

a detector for setting a detection line in a shot image, and detects a change amount of brightness of a plurality of picture cells disposed along the detection line; and

a generator for generating the display information, wherein;

the detector detects a moving object moving along the detection line, based on a historical relationship of positions of picture cells, of which the change amount of brightness is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold;

the detector monitors a position of the moving object temporally;

the detector further detects a moving direction of the moving object based on a temporal movement of the moving object;

the detection line is a distorted curved line in accordance with a distortion of the shot image that is shot by the image capture device; and

the detection line connects a right side middle point of the shot image and a left side middle point of the shot image.

18. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 17, wherein the detection line is a single curved line.

19. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 17, wherein the detection line is disposed along a distortion of the shot image.

20. The vehicle perimeter monitor according to claim 17, wherein the right side middle point is disposed at a center of a right side of the shot image, and

the left side middle point is disposed at a center of a left side of the shot image.