Vehicular image control apparatus

• US 10,003,772 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Arihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US14/892,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 348148, 348118, 701 36
• 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 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8033 for pedestrian protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An audio/visual control apparatus includes a plurality of displays. A reverse driving camera application may be launched to display a camera image dedicated to reverse driving in a situation where another camera application is already running and causing a particular image to be displayed on a subject display of the displays. Such case causes an on-screen image displayed on the subject display to be switched from the particular image to a reverse driving image generated by the reverse driving camera application, regardless of normal display switching priorities.

Claims

1. A vehicular image control apparatus to a vehicle, comprising:

a display controller configured to

distribute a plurality of different visual outputs generated, respectively, by a plurality of different applications that are simultaneously running, to a plurality of image display units separately mounted in the vehicle and

cause the image display units to display the respective distributed visual outputs,

wherein;

(i) the different applications include a plurality of different camera applications corresponding to a single subject camera mounted in the vehicle that are able to be simultaneously executed;

(ii) the plurality of different camera applications generating respective visual outputs of images captured by the single subject camera includes

(a) a second camera application generating a second visual output, the second camera application being executed to display the second visual output in response to a predetermine display condition becoming established, and

(b) a first camera application generating a first visual output, the first camera application being any one of the different camera applications excluding the second camera application; and

(iii) the display controller is configured to

(a) replace the first visual output generated by the first camera application with the second visual output generated by the second camera application by hiding the first visual output from any one of the screens of the image display units, and

(b) cause any one of the screens of the image display units to display the second visual output generated by the second camera application, in response to the predetermined display condition becoming established under a situation where the first visual output generated by the first camera application corresponding to the subject camera is

displayed on any one of the screens of the image display units,

the display controller causes one of the visual outputs that are respectively generated by the plurality of different camera applications corresponding to the single subject camera to be exclusively displayed.

2. The vehicular image control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein;

the single subject camera mounted in the vehicle is a rear-view camera capturing a rear view of the vehicle; and

in response to a predetermined rear-view display condition, as the predetermined display condition, becoming established under a situation where the first visual output generated by the first camera application among the different camera applications corresponding to the rear-view camera is displayed on one of the image display units,

the display controller

hides the first visual output generated by the first camera application and

causes any one of the screens of the image display units to display the second visual output generated by the second camera application,

the second camera application being assigned, among the different camera applications corresponding to the rear-view camera, to generate a visual output of an image captured by the rear-view camera mounted in the vehicle in response the rear-view display condition becoming established.

3. The vehicular image control apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an acquisition unit that acquires a signal indicative of a shift position of the vehicle,

wherein, when the acquisition unit acquires a signal indicative of the shift position becoming a reverse shift position, the display controller determines that the rear-view display condition is established.

4. The vehicular image control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein,

when the second camera application stops an operation, the operation having continued generating the second visual output to the any one of the image display units while the rear-view display condition is established,

the display controller causes one of the image display units to redisplay a first visual output generated by the first camera application.

5. The vehicular image control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit that stores the plurality of applications.