Vehicular viewing device

• US 10,011,227 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Ishizuka, Hiroki, Ichikawa, Tomonori
• Primary Examiner(s): Aghevli, Reza
• Application Number:
  US15/091,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20160297363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• 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 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• 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 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vehicular viewing device including a display section that displays an imaging result of a rear imaging section imaging behind a vehicle, and a controller that, when an warning target has been detected in the imaging result, controls the display section such that a predetermined warning image is displayed in a region outside a predetermined field of view required range in a captured image expressed by the imaging result.

Claims

1. A vehicular viewing device comprising:

a rear imaging section having a predetermined field of view behind a vehicle, the predetermined field of view including a required range of view;

a display section that displays a captured image from the rear imaging section; and

a controller that, when a warning target has been detected in the captured image, controls the display section such that a predetermined warning image is displayed in a region outside the required range of the predetermined field of view in the captured image,

wherein the controller controls the display section such that the warning image is displayed in a region above a horizon line or a vanishing point in the captured image as the region outside the field of view.

2. The vehicular viewing device of claim 1, wherein:

when the warning image is displayed in a region above the horizon line, the horizon line is found from an attachment position of the rear imaging section on the vehicle and an optical axis of the rear imaging section; and

when the warning image is displayed in a region above the vanishing point, the vanishing point is found from the captured image.

3. The vehicular viewing device of claim 1, wherein:

the controller further controls the display section such that the size of the warning image is changed and displayed according to at least one of a size of the warning target in the captured image, or a distance to the warning target.

4. The vehicular viewing device of claim 1, further comprising a rear imaging section that images behind the vehicle.

5. The vehicular viewing device of claim 1, further comprising

a surroundings imaging section that images vehicle surroundings including at least a specific region along a line between an occupant and the display section, and

wherein the controller extracts a brightness of the specific region from a captured image of the surroundings imaging section along the line between the occupant and the display section, and further controls the luminance of the display section according to the extracted brightness.

6. The vehicular viewing device of claim 5, wherein the surroundings imaging section that images vehicle surroundings includes at least a specific region on an extension line between an occupant and the display section.

7. The vehicular viewing device of claim 6, further comprising a center monitor that generates and displays overhead images centered on the vehicle from images imaged by the surroundings imaging section.

8. The vehicular viewing device of claim 1, wherein a predetermined warning image is displayed above the warning target.