Imaging device, imaging display apparatus, and vehicle

• US 10,389,920 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Shiohara, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Frank F
• Application Number:
  US15/502,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20170237882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/31 Virtual images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/77 Instrument locations other than the dashboard
• 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 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• 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 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/306 using a re-scaling of images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8046 for replacing a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/22 Cropping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4007 : based on interpolation, e.g. bilinear interpolation image demosaicing G06T3/4015; edge-driven or edge-based scaling G06T3/403
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 : Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/08 : Details of image data interface between the display device controller and the data line driver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 : Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 : Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 : Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 : Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/18 : Timing circuits for raster scan displays specially adapted for television H04N ; synchronisation between the display unit and other display units, videodisc player G09G5/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 : Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 : by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 : Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 : Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 : Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An imaging device that includes an imaging unit included K imaging elements, a display unit included K display areas, an image signal generation unit that generates partial image signals based on imaging signals output from the imaging unit, and outputs image signals to the display unit, and a timing control unit that outputs a timing when the image processing generation unit outputs the image signal based on display output line information and image processing line information, and the image processing generation unit outputs an image signal indicating an image to be displayed in a display target line in a case where the display output line information and the image processing line information indicate the display target line.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

an imaging unit that includes K imaging elements (K is a natural number which is equal to or greater than

     2) which image subjects and output imaging signals indicating imaging results in synchronization with an imaging synchronization signal;

a display unit that includes K display areas in a one-to-one correspondence with the K imaging elements of the imaging unit, and is configured to display an image at a frame rate higher than that of the imaging unit in synchronization with a display synchronization signal;

an image signal generation unit including an image processing unit, a memory, and an image signal output unit,

the image processing unit performing image processing on at least an imaging signal that has been output from a j-th imaging element of the imaging unit and generating a partial image signal indicating an image to be displayed in a j-th display area (the j is a natural number which satisfies 1≤

j≤

K) of the display unit, the image processing unit at least performing, as the image processing, a resizing process to convert the imaging signal to the partial image signal that corresponds to a count number of pixels of the display unit,

the memory storing the partial image signal that has been generated by the image processing unit,

the image signal output unit acquiring, from the memory, an image signal which includes K partial image signals, which have been generated by the image processing unit and correspond to the K display areas, and indicates an image to be displayed on the display unit, and outputting the image signal from the image signal generation unit to the display unit in synchronization with the display synchronization signal; and

a timing control unit that controls a timing of the image signal output unit to acquire the image signal from the memory and output the image signal from the image signal generation unit to the display unit,

wherein, when a time from starting of a frame of the imaging synchronization signal to starting of a frame of the display synchronization signal is a phase difference, a frame rate of the imaging unit is a first frame rate, and a highest frame rate at which the display unit is configured to display is a second frame rate, the timing control unit is configured to

control the image signal output unit to acquire the image signal and output the image signal from the image signal generation unit to the display unit such that the display unit displays the image at the second frame rate, in first timing control for gradually decreasing the phase difference in a case where the phase difference is greater than a predetermined time that is a maximum processing time of processing times in which the image processing unit performs the image processing on the K partial image signals,

control the image signal output unit to acquire the image signal and output the image signal from the image signal generation unit to the display unit such that the display unit displays the image at the first frame rate, in second timing control after the phase difference is equal to or less than the predetermined time.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein, in a case where the phase difference is greater than the predetermined time, the timing control unit generates the K partial image signals, waits until the image indicated by the K partial image signals is configured to be displayed on the display unit, and outputs the image signal including the K partial image signals to the display unit.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the display synchronization signal includes a display horizontal synchronization pulse having a predetermined cycle, and

the timing control unit outputs the image signal including the K partial image signals to the display unit in synchronization with a first display horizontal synchronization pulse output after an image signal generation time when the generation of the K partial image signals is completed in a case where the image signal generation time is equal to or less than a display available time when the image indicated by the K partial image signals is configured to be displayed on the display unit after the phase difference is equal to or less than the predetermined time.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the timing control unit outputs the display synchronization signal including a display horizontal synchronization pulse having a variable cycle, stops outputting the display horizontal synchronization pulse and stops outputting the image signal including the K partial image signals until an image signal generation time when generation of the K partial image signals is completed, in a case where the image signal generation time is equal to or less than a display available time when the image indicated by the K partial image signals is configured to be displayed on the display unit after the phase difference is equal to or less than the predetermined time, and outputs the display horizontal synchronization pulse and outputs the image signal including the K partial image signals in synchronization with the output display horizontal synchronization pulse after the image signal generation time.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein the display unit is provided within a vehicle, and

the imaging elements image the outside of the vehicle.

6. The imaging device according to claim 5,

wherein the K imaging elements included in the imaging unit include a first imaging element that images a subject in the rear of the vehicle, a second imaging element that images a subject on a rear left side of the vehicle, and a third imaging element that images a subject on a rear right side of the vehicle, and

the K display areas of the display unit include a first display area that corresponds to the first imaging element, a second display area that corresponds to the second imaging element and is formed on a left side of the first display area, and a third display area which corresponds to the third imaging element and is formed on a right side of the first display area.

7. A vehicle imaging display system comprising:

the imaging device according to claim 1.

8. A vehicle comprising the imaging display system according to claim 7.