Device for monitoring area around vehicle

• US 6,940,423 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takagi, Makoto, Konno, Kazushi, Kakinami, Toshiaki, Katsuno, Toshiyasu, Iwata, Yoshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US10/284,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20030080877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 340/932.2, 340/937, 340/903, 340/436, 340/425.5, 340/461, 340/435, 701/41, 701/28, 701/36, 701/64, 701/23, 348/118, 348/148, 348/149, 348/159, 180/204, 180/446, 346/118, 346/148
• US Class Current: 340/932.2
• 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 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• 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 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• 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 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8086 for vehicle path indication
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0275 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A back camera image from a back camera mounted on a rear portion of a vehicle body is displayed on a display mounted on the console inside the vehicle cabin when the vehicle is parallel parking. After the vehicle passes a steering direction reversal point in this state, a corner camera image from a corner camera mounted on a corner portion of a front portion of the vehicle body is displayed on the display when the vehicle nears a vehicle parked in front, or, more specifically, when an angle of the vehicle after it has reached the steering direction reversal point has reached a predetermined value. Guidance images may be overlaid upon the camera images during some or all of the parallel parking maneuver.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring an area around a vehicle having front wheels that serve as steered wheels, the device comprising an image display system that provides a back image of the vehicle to an operator of the vehicle during backing up, wherein the image display system switches from the back image of the vehicle to a side image of the vehicle on an outside of a turn in accordance with a state of the turn of the vehicle so as to provide the side image of the vehicle to the operator, the image display system provides an image of a side in front of the vehicle on a parking space side to the operator of the vehicle during parallel parking by backing up along a target path of travel to a parallel park complete position in a parking space when the front wheels move from a first state in which the front wheels are steered toward the parking space side, to a second state in which the front wheels are steered to a side opposite the parking space side during parallel parking of the vehicle, and it is determined that the front wheels move from the first state to the second state, on the basis of a result of comparing the target path of travel with a position of the vehicle.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the image display system starts providing the image of the side in front of the vehicle to the operator before the front wheels move from the first state to the second state.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the image display system starts providing the image of the side in front of the vehicle to the operator at a time when the vehicle moves to a predetermined position after the front wheels have moved from the first state to the second state.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the image display system provides one of a back image and a side image of the vehicle to the operator before starting provision of the image of the side in front of the vehicle on the parking space side.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the image display system provides at least one guidance image overlaid upon the back image of the vehicle to the operator so as to assist with the parallel parking.

6. The device according to claims 1, wherein the image display system continues providing the image of the side in front of the vehicle on the parking space side for a predetermined time period from start of provision of the image to the operator.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the image display system provides one of the back image and the side image of the vehicle to the operator after completion of provision of the image of the side in front of the vehicle on the parking space side to the operator.

8. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a controller that determines whether an angle of the vehicle relative to a starting position reaches a predetermined value, wherein the image display system switches the back image of the vehicle to a side image of the vehicle on an outside of turn when it is determined by the controller that the angle of the vehicle has reached the predetermined value during backing up so as to start providing the side image of the vehicle on the outside of turn to the operator.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the image display system starts providing the side image to the operator and continues providing the side image for a predetermined period of time.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the image display system switches the back image of the vehicle from the side image so as to be provided to the operator after completion of provision of the side image.

11. A method of monitoring an area around a vehicle having front wheels that serve as steered wheels, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a back image of the vehicle to an operator of the vehicle during backing up;

switching from the back image of the vehicle to a side image of the vehicle on an outside of a turn in accordance with a state of the turn of the vehicle so as to provide the side image of the vehicle to the operator; and

providing an image of a side in front of the vehicle on a parking space side to the operator of the vehicle during parallel parking by backing up along a target path of travel to a parallel park complete position in a parking space when the front wheels move from a first state in which the front wheels are steered toward the parking space side, to a second state in which the front wheels are steered to a side opposite the parking space side during parallel parking of the vehicle, and it is determined that the front wheels move from the first state to the second state, on the basis of a result of comparing the target path of travel with a position of the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein provision of the image of the side in front of the vehicle to the operator is started to the operator before the front wheels move from the first state to the second state.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein provision of the image of the side in front of the vehicle to the operator is started at a time when the vehicle moves to a predetermined position after the front wheels have moved from the first state to the second state.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein one of the back image and the side image of the vehicle is provided to the operator before starting provision of the image of the side in front of the vehicle on the parking space side.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of guiding lines is laid over the back image of the vehicle so as to be provided to the operator for assisting with the parallel parking.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein provision of the image of the side in front of the vehicle on the parking space side is continued for a predetermined time period from start of provision of the image to the operator.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein one of the back image and the side image of the vehicle is provided to the operator after completion of provision of the image of the side in front of the vehicle on the parking space side to the operator.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether an angle of the vehicle relative to a starting position reaches a predetermined value,

switching the back image of the vehicle to a side image of the vehicle on an outside of turn when it is determined that the angle of the vehicle has reached the predetermined value during backing up so as to start providing the side image of the vehicle on the outside of turn to the operator.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the side image is provided to the operator and provision of the side image is continued for a predetermined period of time.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the back image of the vehicle is switched from the side image so as to be provided to the operator after completion of provision of the side image.