Vehicle peripheral observation device

• US 9,308,863 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyoshi, Hidehiko, Nagamine, Noboru, Miura, Kenji, Yamamoto, Kinji, Goto, Kenjiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aghevli, Reza
• Application Number:
  US13/636,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20130010117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,896 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/002 specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle, e.g. for viewing tyres, bumpers or the like integrated in the windows B60R1/001; combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• 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 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• 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: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Provided is a device whereby it is possible to accurately recognize which area has been enlarged when part of an overhead image displayed on a monitor is displayed as enlarged. When any one area of a plurality divided areas (D1-D4) is indicated, the divided areas being a result of dividing an overhead image displayed on a monitor (21), an image of the indicated divided area (D1-D4) is set as an image to be enlarged, and an auxiliary display area (21B) is set as an enlarged display area. Enlarged display unit forms a plurality of intermediate images (M) of an intermediate size between the size of the indicated divided area (D2) and the size of the enlarged display area, and the intermediate images are sequentially displayed beginning with the smallest intermediate image (M), using the indicated divided area (D2) as an origin point.

Claims

1. A vehicle peripheral observation device comprising

a plurality of cameras for imaging an area including a road surface of a vehicle periphery, and

an image processor for displaying the images captured using the plurality of cameras on a monitor;

the image processor having

overhead-image-generating unit for generating an overhead image of a bird'"'"'s-eye view of the vehicle periphery, the overhead image comprising a plurality of images captured using the plurality of cameras, and displaying the overhead image in an overhead image display area of the monitor; and

a display unit for

dividing the overhead image display area into a plurality of divided areas, an image to be enlarged being the portion of the overhead image in an indicated divided area of the plurality of divided areas, wherein at least a part of the vehicle is included in the image to be enlarged;

generating a plurality of intermediate images of the image to be enlarged, each of the intermediate images having an intermediate size between the size of the indicated divided area and the size of the overhead image display area;

executing a process of sequentially displaying the intermediate images on the overhead image display area beginning with the smallest size intermediate image and ending with the largest size intermediate image;

displaying the image of the indicated divided area on the overhead image display area, the size of the image to be enlarged being the size of the overhead image display area; and

emphasizing a frame corresponding to the divided area including the image to be enlarged whereby the divided area including the image to be enlarged is specified;

wherein the divided area including the image to be enlarged is emphasized by increasing the brightness of the frame, increasing the chroma of the frame or varying the frame to a different hue.

2. The vehicle peripheral observation device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit causes the intermediate images to be laid over the parts of the overhead image displayed in the divided areas other than the indicated divided area.

3. The vehicle peripheral observation device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the parts of the overhead image displayed in the plurality of divided areas is generated by combining overhead images generated from the images captured using two cameras.

4. The vehicle peripheral observation device according to claim 1, wherein the monitor has a touch panel in a display surface, and when touching of any of the plurality of divided areas is sensed by the touch panel, the enlarged display unit indicates the overhead image of the touched divided area as the image to be enlarged.

5. The vehicle peripheral observation device according to claim 1, wherein the monitor has a touch panel in a display surface, and when touching of any of the plurality of divided areas is sensed by the touch panel, the enlarged display unit displays, in the divided area where touching was sensed, an image captured using the camera that imaged the area displayed in the divided area instead of the overhead image already displayed in the divided area;

and indicates the thus-displayed captured image as the image to be enlarged.

6. The vehicle peripheral observation device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a borderline clarifying the border in the outer periphery of each displayed intermediate image.

7. The vehicle peripheral observation device according to claim 1, wherein, when the image of the indicated divided area is displayed such that the size of the image to be enlarged is the size of the overhead image display, an area icon indicating the original position of the image to be enlarged is displayed.

8. The vehicle peripheral observation device according to claim 1, wherein, when the image of the indicated divided area is displayed such that the size of the image to be enlarged is the size of the overhead image display, an aspect ratio of the image to be enlarged is retained.

9. The vehicle peripheral observation device according to claim 7, wherein an aspect ratio of the image to be enlarged is retained.