SURROUNDING AREA MONITORING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE

• US 20130002874A1
• Filed: 02/21/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arriver Software AB (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Negoro, Masaki, Yokochi, Yuji, Nishigaki, Morimichi, Sawada, Kenichi, Taniguchi, Fuminori, Akutsu, Naoto, Fujii, Nobuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,123,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A surrounding area monitoring apparatus for vehicle includes an infrared camera mounted on a vehicle for capturing images of surrounding area around the vehicle, a unit for generating and displaying images based on image data captured by the camera, and a controller for calibrating output of the camera with respect to a relation between pixels, based on image data produced by imaging a surface of a shutter that opens and closes an aperture introducing a light to the camera. The controller estimates whether a temperature of the camera is stable, based on an operation state of the vehicle, and determines a possibility that a driver is looking at the unit, based on a behavior of the vehicle. When the temperature of the camera is estimated stable and the possibility that the driver is looking at the unit is determined to be low, the means for calibrating executes the calibration.

Claims

1. A surrounding area monitoring apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

an infrared camera mounted on a vehicle, that captures images of surrounding area around the vehicle;

a display unit that displays images based on image data captured by the infrared camera;

a controller including a processor and a memory that are configured to;

generate images to be displayed on the unit,

calibrate output of the infrared camera with respect to a relation between pixels, based on image data produced by imaging a surface of a shutter that opens and closes an aperture introducing a light to the infrared camera;

estimate whether or not temperature of the infrared camera is stable; and

determine a possibility that a driver is looking at a image on the unit, based on a behavior of the vehicle,

wherein, when the temperature of the infrared camera is estimated stable and the possibility that the driver is looking at the display unit is determined to be low, the controller executes the calibration.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a radar that determines location of a target object around the vehicle, wherein the controller executes the calibration when the temperature of the infrared camera is estimated stable and the determined distance to the target object, a preceding vehicle, is equal to or less than a predetermined distance.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle has travelled at a constant speed equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, for a time period equal to or longer than a predetermined period of time, the controller estimates that the temperature of the infrared camera is stable.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, during or just after a turn of the vehicle, or during quick acceleration or quick deceleration, the controller determines that the possibility is low that the driver is looking at a image on the unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller estimates whether or not the temperature of the infrared camera is stable, according to a degree of a temperature change of the camera from the previous calibration to the present time.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle and a predefined living object, detected on the basis of the image data captured by the infrared camera, are in a predetermined positional relationship, the controller executes the calibration.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines an execution timing of the calibration, on the basis of a navigation information from a navigation device.

8. A surrounding area monitoring apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

an infrared camera, mounted on a vehicle, for capturing images of surrounding area around the vehicle;

means for generating and displaying images based on image data captured by the infrared camera;

means for calibrating output of the infrared camera with respect to a relation between pixels, based on image data produced by imaging a surface of a shutter that opens and closes an aperture introducing a light to the infrared camera;

means for estimating whether or not temperature of the infrared camera is stable; and

means for determining a possibility that a driver is looking at a image on the means for displaying, based on a behavior of the vehicle,

wherein, when the temperature of the infrared camera is estimated stable and the possibility that the driver is looking at the means for displaying is determined to be low, the means for calibrating executes the calibration.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a radar for determining location of a target object around the vehicle, wherein the means for calibrating executes the calibration when the temperature of the infrared camera is estimated stable and the determined distance to the target object, a preceding vehicle, is equal to or less than a predetermined distance.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, when the vehicle has travelled at a constant speed equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, for a time period equal to or longer than a predetermined period of time, the means for estimating estimates that the temperature of the infrared camera is stable.

11. The apparatus according to claims 8, wherein, during or just after a turn of the vehicle, or during quick acceleration or quick deceleration, the means for determining determines that the possibility is low that the driver is looking at a image on the means for displaying.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the means for estimating estimates whether or not the temperature of the infrared camera is stable, according to a degree of a temperature change of the camera from the previous calibration to the present time.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, when the vehicle and a predefined living object, detected on the basis of the image data captured by the infrared camera, are in a predetermined positional relationship, the calibration is not executed.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the means for calibrating determines a execution timing of the calibration, on the basis of a navigation information from a navigation device.

15. A method for monitoring surroundings of a vehicle with an infrared camera and a display device, comprising:

capturing images of surrounding area around the vehicle by the infrared camera;

generating and providing images for the display device, based on image data captured by the infrared camera;

calibrating output of the infrared camera with respect to a relation between pixels, based on image data produced by imaging a surface of a shutter that opens and closes an aperture introducing a light to the infrared camera;

estimating whether or not temperature of the infrared camera is stable; and

determining a possibility that a driver is looking at a image on the display device, based on a behavior of the vehicle,

wherein, when the temperature of the infrared camera is estimated stable and the possibility that the driver is looking at the display device is determined to be low, the calibration is executed.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

determining location of a target object around the vehicle by a radar, wherein the calibration is executed when the temperature of the infrared camera is estimated stable and the determined distance to the target object, a preceding vehicle, is equal to or less than a predetermined distance.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein, when the vehicle has travelled at a constant speed equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, for a time period equal to or longer than a predetermined period of time, the temperature of the infrared camera is estimated stable.

18. The method according to claims 15, wherein, during or just after a turn of the vehicle, or during quick acceleration or quick deceleration, the possibility that the driver is looking at a image on the display device is determined to be low.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein it is estimated whether or not the temperature of the infrared camera is stable, according to a degree of a temperature change of the camera from the previous calibration to the present time.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein, when the vehicle and a predefined living object, detected on the basis of the image data captured by the infrared camera, are in a predetermined positional relationship, the calibration is not executed.