Vehicle control apparatus

• US 9,895,974 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Kazuya, Maruoka, Tetsuya, Ohashi, Itsuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Osinski, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/835,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/52 Control of displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/26 using acoustic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/605 the adjustment being automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators

Abstract

A vehicle control apparatus includes a first acquisition portion acquiring a captured image data outputted from an imaging portion that is provided at a vehicle and that images a surrounding of the vehicle, a second acquisition portion acquiring an inclination angle of the vehicle on a basis of a state information of the vehicle, the state information outputted from a vehicle state detection portion that is provided at the vehicle, and an output portion being configured to output an output image data to a display device, the output image data including the captured image data and an inclination angle display information indicating the inclination angle of the vehicle, the output portion changing a display method within the output image data in accordance with the inclination angle of the vehicle and outputting the output image data.

Claims

1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a first acquisition portion acquiring captured image data outputted from an imaging portion that is provided at a vehicle and that images a surrounding area of the vehicle;

a second acquisition portion acquiring an inclination angle of the vehicle on a basis of state information of the vehicle, the state information outputted from a vehicle state detection portion that is provided at the vehicle; and

an output portion being configured to output output image data to a display device, the output image data including the captured image data and inclination angle display information indicating the inclination angle of the vehicle, the output portion changing a display method within the output image data in accordance with the inclination angle of the vehicle and outputting the output image data,

wherein

the output portion outputs the output image data including the captured image data in response to the inclination angle of the vehicle being less than a predetermined first angle;

the output portion outputs the output image data including the captured image data and the inclination angle display information in response to the inclination angle of the vehicle being equal to or greater than the first angle; and

the output portion outputs the output image data including the captured image data and the inclination angle display information and changes the display method within a display region of the output image data in response to the inclination angle of the vehicle being equal to or greater than a predetermined second angle that is greater than the first angle.

2. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output portion changes a color in accordance with the inclination angle of the vehicle as the display method within the output image data.

3. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output portion outputs the output image data including the captured image data that is rotationally controlled on a basis of the inclination angle of the vehicle relative to a lateral direction, the lateral direction that is a direction included in a lateral plane orthogonal to a direction of gravity, by using inclination angle data of the vehicle, the inclination angle data acquired by the second acquiring portion.

4. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the inclination angle includes a first inclination angle of the vehicle, the first inclination angle serving as a roll angle, and a second inclination angle of the vehicle, the second inclination angle serving as a pitch angle;

the display method includes a first display method and a second display method;

the output portion changes the first display method within a display region of the output image data in accordance with the roll angle; and

the output portion changes the second display method within the display region of the output image data in accordance with the pitch angle.

5. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output portion changes at least one of a color of the captured image data, a color of a display region excluding the captured image data and the inclination angle display information, and a color within the inclination angle display information as the display method.

6. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display device displays the output image data outputted from the output portion, the display device displaying an icon warning a driver with the output image data as the display method.

7. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display device displays the output image data outputted from the output portion, the display device displaying the output image data that changes a color at a region within the captured image data in accordance with a difference in height relative to a lateral plane as the display method.

8. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a first acquisition portion acquiring captured image data outputted from an imaging portion that is provided at a vehicle and that images a surrounding area of the vehicle;

a second acquisition portion acquiring an inclination angle of the vehicle on a basis of state information of the vehicle, the state information outputted from a vehicle state detection portion that is provided at the vehicle; and

an output portion being configured to output output image data to a display device, the output image data including the captured image data and an inclination angle display information indicating the inclination angle of the vehicle, the output portion changing a display method within the output image data in accordance with the inclination angle of the vehicle and outputting the output image data,

wherein the display device displays the output image data outputted from the output portion, the display device displaying the output image data that changes a color at a region within the captured image data in accordance with a difference in height relative to a lateral plane as the display method.

9. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the output portion changes a color in accordance with the inclination angle of the vehicle as the display method within the output image data.

10. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the output portion outputs the output image data including the captured image data that is rotationally controlled on a basis of the inclination angle of the vehicle relative to a lateral direction, the lateral direction that is a direction included in a lateral plane orthogonal to a direction of gravity, by using inclination angle data of the vehicle, the inclination angle data acquired by the second acquiring portion.

11. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the output portion outputs the output image data including the captured image data when the inclination angle of the vehicle is less than a predetermined first angle;

the output portion outputs the output image data including the captured image data and the inclination angle display information when the inclination angle of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the first angle; and

the output portion outputs the output image data including the captured image data and the inclination angle display information and changes the display method within a display region of the output image data when the inclination angle of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined second angle that is greater than the first angle.

12. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the inclination angle includes a first inclination angle of the vehicle, the first inclination angle serving as a roll angle, and a second inclination angle of the vehicle, the second inclination angle serving as a pitch angle;

the display method includes a first display method and a second display method;

the output portion changes the first display method within a display region of the output image data in accordance with the roll angle; and

the output portion changes the second display method within the display region of the output image data in accordance with the pitch angle.

13. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the output portion changes at least one of a color of the captured image data, a color of a display region excluding the captured image data and the inclination angle display information, and a color within the inclination angle display information as the display method.

14. The vehicle control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the display device displays the output image data outputted from the output portion, the display device displaying an icon warning a driver with the output image data as the display method.

15. A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

a first acquisition portion acquiring captured image data outputted from an imaging portion that is provided at a vehicle and that images a surrounding area of the vehicle;

a second acquisition portion acquiring an inclination angle of the vehicle on a basis of state information of the vehicle, the state information outputted from a vehicle state detection portion that is provided at the vehicle; and

an output portion being configured to output output image data to a display device, the output image data including the captured image data and inclination angle display information indicating the inclination angle of the vehicle, the output portion changing a display method within the output image data in accordance with the inclination angle of the vehicle and outputting the output image data,

wherein the inclination angle display information is displayed as an icon representing a current inclination angle of the vehicle, and

the output portion outputs the output image data including the captured image data that is rotationally controlled on a basis of the inclination angle of the vehicle relative to a lateral direction, the lateral direction is a direction included in a lateral plane orthogonal to a direction of gravity, by using inclination angle data of the vehicle, the inclination angle data is acquired by the second acquiring portion,

wherein a control portion is configured to perform the rotation control on the captured image data depending on a roll angle in a manner that a horizontal line included in a subject captured in the captured image data is substantially parallel to a lateral-direction side of a display device, the angle indicating an inclination around a front-rear axis of the vehicle calculated from acceleration data, and

the control portion is configured to correct an inclination of the captured image data by rotating the captured image data about a position coordinate set within the captured image data.