Device for Monitoring Area Around Working Machine

• US 20140088824A1
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ishimoto, Hidefumi
• Application Number:
  US14/116,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20140088824A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/34.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/0841 Articulated frame, i.e. having at least one pivot point between two travelling gear units tractor-trailer combinations B62D53/00
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/261 Surveying the work-site to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Upon displaying, on a monitor, camera images obtained by cameras mounted on a vehicle front section and vehicle rear section, the vehicle rear section with an operator'"'"'s cab mounted thereon is displayed as a fixed character image while the vehicle front section is displayed as a movable character image bendable relative to the fixed character image. Around a vehicle image displayed as described above, a composite bird'"'"'s eye view image, which has been composed from individual bird'"'"'s eye view images obtained by subjecting the camera images to coordinate transformation such that upper viewpoint images are formed is displayed, so that the individual bird'"'"'s eye view images acquired from the cameras mounted on the vehicle front section are changed in display range when the vehicle front section and vehicle rear section are bent about a pivot pin.

Claims

1. A surroundings monitoring system for an articulated working machine bendably connected between a vehicle front section and a vehicle rear section with a pivot pin comprising:

at least one camera mounted on the vehicle front section,

at least one camera mounted on the vehicle rear section and having a field of vision to backward direction of the vehicle,

a monitor to show image for monitoring around the working machine,

a camera position identifying unit to determine the positions of respective cameras based on an angle of articulation between the vehicle front section and the vehicle rear section about the pivot pin,

an image transformation means for converting camera images captured by the cameras to a viewpoint from upward direction for forming bird'"'"'s eye view images, respectively,

an image composing means for converting from the individually acquired bird'"'"'s eye view images of the respective cameras to a composite bird'"'"'s eye view image for displaying on the monitor such that the individually acquired bird'"'"'s eye view images arranged for positions determined according the position of the corresponding cameras by the camera position identifying unit, and

a display image forming means for displaying the composite bird'"'"'s eye view image on the display together with a vehicle image in which one of the vehicle front section and the vehicle rear section is set as a fixed-side character image and the other is set as a movable-side character image articulated to the fixed-side character image.

2. The surroundings monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the section provided with an operator'"'"'s cab is displayed as the fixed-side character image on the monitor.

3. The surroundings monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the working machine is provided on the vehicle front section thereof with an operator'"'"'s cab, and the display screen image is changed the fixed-side character image between the vehicle front section on forward movement of the working machine and the vehicle rear section on backward movement of the working machine.

4. The surroundings monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein a caution range guideline around the vehicle image is shown on the monitor, the caution range guideline is changed based upon a change in the articulation angle with a degree according to the changing angle.

5. The surroundings monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the respective cameras on the vehicle front section and vehicle rear section are arranged at positions such that at least two of the adjacent cameras partly is overlapped in field of vision over an entire articulate angle.

6. The surroundings monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein a caution range guideline around the vehicle image is shown on the monitor, the caution range guideline is changed based upon a change in the articulation angle with a degree according to the changing angle.

7. The surroundings monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein a caution range guideline around the vehicle image is shown on the monitor, the caution range guideline is changed based upon a change in the articulation angle with a degree according to the changing angle.

8. The surroundings monitoring system according claim 2, wherein the respective cameras on the vehicle front section and vehicle rear section are arranged at positions such that at least two of the adjacent cameras partly is overlapped in field of vision over an entire articulate angle.

9. The surroundings monitoring system according claim 3, wherein the respective cameras on the vehicle front section and vehicle rear section are arranged at positions such that at least two of the adjacent cameras partly is overlapped in field of vision over an entire articulate angle.