VEHICLE MIRROR APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING TRAVELING INFORMATION

• US 20110128142A1
• Filed: 11/11/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: BYUN, Sung Jae
• Application Number:
  US12/944,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20110128142A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/475
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle minor apparatus operated in conjunction with left/right mirrors of a vehicle. The vehicle mirror apparatus may include a traveling information collection unit to detect a peripheral vehicle located in lateral and rear sides of the vehicle, and to collect traveling information corresponding to the detected peripheral vehicle, and a first display unit to display the collected traveling information using a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in a matrix type.

Claims

1. A vehicle mirror apparatus operated in conjunction with left/right mirrors of a vehicle, the vehicle mirror apparatus comprising:

a traveling information collection unit to detect a peripheral vehicle located in lateral and rear sides of the vehicle, and to collect traveling information corresponding to the detected peripheral vehicle; and

a first display unit to display the collected traveling information using a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in a matrix type.

2. The vehicle minor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the traveling information collection unit comprises:

a camera module unit to collect a traveling condition of the lateral and rear sides of the vehicle to generate image data;

a vehicle detection unit to analyze the generated image data to detect the peripheral vehicle included in the image data; and

a laser module unit to project a laser on the detected peripheral vehicle to collect the traveling information.

3. The vehicle mirror apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vehicle detection unit converts the generated image data into a binary image, detects a boundary from the converted binary image to detect a candidate vehicle pattern and compares at least one predetermined criterion vehicle pattern with the detected candidate vehicle pattern to detect the peripheral vehicle from the generated image data.

4. The vehicle minor apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second display unit mounted on a main body of a rearview mirror of the vehicle and adopted to display the collected traveling information using the plurality of LEDs arranged in the matrix type.

5. The vehicle mirror apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit includes a first signal display lamp and a second signal display lamp each emitting a different color from each other.

6. The vehicle minor apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

a receiving unit to receive a traveling direction-movement signal from a main control device of the vehicle; and

a control unit to determine a probability of a safe traveling direction movement using the traveling information when the traveling direction-movement signal is received, to control to turn on the first signal display lamp when the safe traveling direction movement is determined to be possible, and to control to turn on the second signal display lamp when the safe traveling direction movement is determined to be impossible.

7. The vehicle mirror apparatus of claim 6, wherein the traveling direction-movement signal is any one of a left direction movement signal, a right direction movement signal, and a rear direction movement signal.

8. The vehicle mirror apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit is mounted on the rear side of the minor.

9. The vehicle mirror apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit is mounted on any one of the left/right minors, respectively.

10. The vehicle minor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the traveling information includes distance information between the vehicle and the peripheral vehicle and speed information of the detected peripheral vehicle.

11. A method of displaying traveling information, comprising:

detecting a peripheral vehicle located in lateral and rear sides of a vehicle to collect traveling information corresponding to the detected peripheral vehicle; and

displaying the collected traveling information on left/right minors of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the detecting comprises:

collecting, as an image, a traveling condition of the lateral and rear sides of the vehicle to generate image data;

analyzing the generated image data to detect the peripheral vehicle included in the image data; and

projecting a laser on the detected peripheral vehicle to collect the traveling information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the analyzing comprises:

converting the generated image data into a binary image;

detecting a boundary from the converted binary image to detect a candidate vehicle pattern; and

comparing at least one predetermined criterion vehicle pattern with the detected candidate vehicle pattern to detect the peripheral vehicle from the generated image data.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the collected travel information on a rearview mirror of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a traveling direction-movement signal from a main control device of the vehicle;

determining a probability of a safe traveling direction movement using the traveling information when the traveling direction-movement signal is received;

displaying a first signal on at least one of the left/right mirrors of the vehicle when the safe traveling direction movement is determined to be possible, and displaying a second signal on the at least one of the left/right minors of the vehicle when the safe traveling direction movement is determined to be impossible.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the traveling direction-movement signal is any one of a left direction movement signal, a right direction movement signal, and a rear direction movement signal.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the traveling information is distance information between the vehicle and the peripheral vehicle and speed information of the detected peripheral vehicle.