Vehicle periphery monitoring system

• US 9,204,108 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Satoh, Noriyuki, Ishii, Katsuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dastouri, Mehrdad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Jimmy S
• Application Number:
  US13/514,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20120242834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,185 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/25 to the sides of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/60 characterised by monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior scenes from a transformed perspective
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8026 in addition to a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vehicle periphery monitoring system is provided, in which by matching a behavior of a semitransparent tire image with an operation from a driver'"'"'s viewpoint, a feeling of strangeness is reduced, an intuitive space perception is assisted and also a moving direction and a behavior of a vehicle can be easily perceived. In a side-view monitor system an image processing controller converts a real camera image including a blind spot into an image to be viewed from a driver'"'"'s viewpoint to generate a blind spot image, and superimposes a semitransparent vehicle image which is obtained by making a vehicle viewed from the driver'"'"'s viewpoint semitransparent and a semitransparent tire image which is obtained by making a tire semitransparent and displaying a behavior following a handle operation viewed from the driver'"'"'s viewpoint on the blind spot image.

Claims

1. A vehicle periphery monitoring system, comprising:

a left side camera, imaging a front left side area from the vehicle which is in a blind spot from a driver;

a right side camera, imaging a front right side area from the vehicle which is in a blind spot from the driver;

an external monitor set at a position in a vehicle interior to be visually confirmed by the driver; and

a monitor display image data generator, generating monitor display image data based on right and left side real camera images which are input from the right side camera and the left side camera, respectively, wherein

the monitor display image data generator;

divides the left side real camera image into two of a left vehicle body image part including a left tire image and the other left periphery image part,

divides the right side real camera image into two of a right vehicle body image part including a right tire image and the other right periphery image part,

sets a point as an assistant driver'"'"'s viewpoint, which is obtained by converting a driver'"'"'s viewpoint in a line-symmetrical manner with a center axis of the vehicle as a line-symmetrical axis,

performs a viewpoint conversion of the periphery image part of one of the left and right side real camera images into a conversion image to be viewed from the driver'"'"'s viewpoint,

performs a viewpoint conversion of the vehicle body image part of the other one of the left and right side real camera images into a semitransparent conversion image to be viewed from the assistant driver'"'"'s viewpoint, and

then performs a mirror image conversion of the semitransparent conversion image into a semitransparent mirrored conversion image, and performs an image composition, superimposing the semitransparent mirrored conversion image on the conversion image to generate the monitor display image data, and

wherein

the monitor display image data generator copies a part of an image of a specific part including a tire within the semitransparent mirrored conversion image to be superimposed on the conversion image,

shifts the copied part in parallel in view of an actual tire width, and

superimposes the copied part shifted in parallel again to express a tire thickness.

2. The vehicle periphery monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the monitor display image data generator adjusts transmissivity of a tire portion within the semitransparent mirrored conversion image so as to enhance visibility with respect to the other image part.