Drive assist system and navigation system for vehicle

• US 20060210114A1
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Oka, Hajime, Esaki, Motoharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• 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 1/25 to the sides of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• 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 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3647 Guidance involving output of stored or live camera images or video streams
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

Front left and right cameras are arranged at front left and right end parts, respectively, of a vehicle to capture a corresponding peripheral image around the vehicle. A control circuit controls a displaying operation of a display device based on a sensed current position of the vehicle and road map information in such a manner that when the vehicle approaches a junction where a current road, along which the vehicle currently travels, joins an encountering road, the peripheral images of front left and right cameras showing a corresponding view of the encountering road are displayed on the display device upon satisfaction of predetermined conditions.

Claims

1. A drive assist system for a vehicle, comprising:

front left and right cameras that are arranged at front left and right end parts, respectively, of the vehicle to capture a corresponding peripheral image around the vehicle;

a display device that is arranged in a passenger compartment of the vehicle and is connected with the front left and right cameras;

a map database that stores road map information;

a vehicle position sensing means for sensing a current position of the vehicle;

a display control means for controlling a displaying operation of the display device based on the sensed current position of the vehicle and the road map information in such a manner that when the vehicle approaches a junction where a current road, along which the vehicle currently travels, joins an encountering road, at least one of the peripheral images of the front left and right cameras, which shows a corresponding view of the encountering road, is displayed on the display device upon satisfaction of one or more predetermined conditions; and

a condition setting means for setting at least one of the one or more predetermined conditions.

2. The drive assist system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions include at least one of a road type of the current road, a road type of the encountering road, a width of the current road, a width of the encountering road, a speed of the vehicle, and a distance from the vehicle to the approaching junction.

3. The drive assist system according to claim 1, wherein the display control means controls the displaying operation of the display device in such a manner that a right side part of a screen of the display device displays the peripheral image of a right side view on a right side of the vehicle, which is captured by one of the front left and right cameras, and a left side part of the screen of the display device displays the peripheral image of a left side view on a left side of the vehicle, which is captured by the other one of the front left and right cameras.

4. The drive assist system according to claim 1, wherein the display control means stops the displaying of the at least one of the peripheral images of the front left and right cameras when it is determined that the sensed current position of the vehicle is in the junction.

5. The drive assist system according to claim 1, wherein each of the front left and right cameras is operable in an opposite-side image capture mode for capturing the peripheral image of an opposite side view on an opposite side of the vehicle, which is opposite from a side where the camera is located.

6. The drive assist system according to claim 5, further comprising an obstacle sensing means for sensing an visual obstacle, which is present in the current road at a location before the junction and obstructs a view of the encountering road on one side of the vehicle where a corresponding one of the front left and right cameras is arranged, wherein when the obstacle sensing means senses the visual obstacle on the one side of the vehicle, an opposite one of the front left and right cameras, which is opposite from the corresponding one of the front left and right cameras, is first operated in the opposite-side image capture mode to capture the view of the encountering road on the one side of the vehicle, and thereafter each of the front left and right cameras is operated in an own-side image capture mode for capturing the peripheral image of an own side view on an own side of the vehicle where the camera is arranged.

7. The drive assist system according to claim 6, wherein the opposite one of the front left and right cameras is shifted from the opposite-side image capture mode to the own-side image capture mode while a position of a boundary line, which corresponds to an end of the visual obstacle, is fixed in a predetermined position on the screen of the display device.

8. The drive assist system according to claim 6, wherein the obstacle sensing means senses the visual obstacle based on building information stored in the map database.

9. The drive assist system according to claim 6, wherein the obstacle sensing means senses the visual obstacle based on the peripheral image captured by each camera.

10. The drive assist system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one rear camera, which is arranged at a rear end of the vehicle to capture a corresponding peripheral image around the vehicle wherein when the vehicle backs up, the peripheral image, which is captured by the at least one rear camera is displayed on the display device.

11. A navigation system for a vehicle, comprising:

at least one front camera that is arranged at a front part of the vehicle to capture a corresponding peripheral image around the vehicle;

a display device that is arranged in a passenger compartment of the vehicle and is connected with the at least one front camera;

a map database that stores road map information;

a vehicle position sensing device that senses a current position of the vehicle; and

a control unit that controls a displaying operation of the display device based on the sensed current position of the vehicle and the road map information in such a manner that when the vehicle approaches a junction where a current road, along which the vehicle currently travels, joins an encountering road, the peripheral image of the at least one front camera, which shows a corresponding view of the encountering road, is displayed on the display device upon satisfaction of one or more predetermined conditions; and

a condition setting arrangement, through which a user sets at least one of the one or more predetermined conditions.

12. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one camera includes front left and right cameras.

13. The navigation system according to claim 12, wherein each of the front left and right cameras is rotatable about a vertical rotational axis.

14. The navigation system according to claim 12, wherein each of the front left and right cameras is an autofocus camera.

15. The navigation system according to claim 12, wherein:

each of the front left and right cameras is operable in an own-side image capture mode and an opposite-side image capture mode;

in the own-side image capture mode, each of the front left and right cameras captures the peripheral image of an own side view on an own side of the vehicle where the camera is located;

in the opposite-side image capture mode, each of the front left and right cameras captures the peripheral image of an opposite side view on an opposite side of the vehicle, which is opposite from the own side where the camera is located; and

the control unit changes an operational mode of each of the front left and right cameras between the own-side image capture mode and the opposite-side image capture mode depending on a state of the junction.

16. The navigation system according to claim 15, wherein an orientation of each of the front left and right cameras in the own-side image capture mode is different from an orientation of each of the front left and right cameras in the opposite-side image capture mode.

17. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more predetermined conditions include at least one of a road type of the current road, a road type of the encountering road, a width of the current road, a width of the encountering road, a speed of the vehicle, and a distance from the vehicle to the approaching junction.

18. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein the control unit controls the display device to display the peripheral image of the at least one front camera, which shows the corresponding view of the encountering road, on the display device in such a manner that the peripheral image of the at least one front camera is superimposed over a navigation road map derived from the road map information on the display device.

19. The navigation system according to claim 18, wherein the control unit controls the display device to display the current position of the vehicle on the navigation road map together with the peripheral image of the at least one front camera, which shows the corresponding view of the encountering road.

20. The navigation system according to claim 11, wherein the control unit controls the display device to stop the displaying of the peripheral image that shows the corresponding view of the encountering road when the sensed current position of the vehicle is determined to be in a center of the junction.