Driving support apparatus

• US 7,602,945 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kubo, Yuichi, Chiba, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai; Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US11/474,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20070053551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/104, 382/106, 340/435, 340/436, 340/576, 340/903, 340/933, 340/988, 348/47, 348/118, 348/119, 348/148, 348/837, 180/169, 180/192, 180/193
• 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 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/31 providing stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/269 using gradient-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus which, even when it becomes impossible to take an image of a mobile object due to existence of an obstacle to hide the mobile object, is capable of making a simulatory screen display of the mobile object, thereby notifying a driver of a risk of collision with the mobile object. Even when it is impossible to take an image of the mobile object because of existence of an obstacle, the apparatus displays a simulated picture image of the mobile object superimposed on an actual picture image, by obtaining an optical flow or by performing pattern matching. Thus, an effect is obtained that the mobile object is viewed as if transmitted through the obstacle. By notifying the driver of the risk of collision in advance by means of sound or video image perceptible by a human being, the danger of the collision is avoided.

Claims

1. A driving support apparatus comprising:

an image taking module to take an image of an object of shooting;

a display module to display the image taken by said image taking module; and

a controlling module to calculate an optical flow of a mobile object when the mobile object is included in the object of shooting and, when the mobile object is hidden by another object and cannot be shot, to calculate a position of the mobile object based on an optical flow of the mobile object calculated before its being hidden and to control said display module to display the mobile object superimposed on the other object; and

a notifying module to notify a driver of a potential for collision with a mobile object,

wherein said controlling module detects the optical flow of said driving support apparatus and, when it is predicted that said driving support apparatus collides with the mobile object on the basis of the optical flow of the mobile object and the optical flow of said driving support apparatus, notifies the driver that said apparatus will collide with the mobile object through said notifying module.

2. The driving support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said apparatus has a plurality of said image taking modules, and

said controlling module calculates the optical flow by performing stereophonic processing of a signal output from said plurality of image taking modules.