Vehicular image display apparatus and vehicular image display method

• US 7,948,517 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2004
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Asai, Goro
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks Harold; Marsha D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anyikire; Chikaodili E
• Application Number:
  US10/793,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20040196368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,633 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/143
• US Class Current: 348/143
• 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 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/60 characterised by monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior scenes from a transformed perspective
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20092 Interactive image processing based on input by user
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A camera is disposed on a door mirror whose operating position is changeable between a deployed position and a retracted position, so that the positional relationship of the camera with a vehicle body changes as the operating position of the door mirror changes. A region corresponding to the operating position of the door mirror is partially extracted from the entire shot area of an image taken by the camera. That is, the angular direction of the region partially extracted from the entire shot area taken by the camera when the door mirror is in the deployed position and the angular direction of the region partially extracted from the entire shot area taken by the camera when the door mirror is in the retracted position are made different from each other by an angle equal to the angle difference between the two positions of the door mirror. The camera-taken images of the extracted regions are conformed to the screen of a display. Thus, the vehicle traveling direction appearing on the display remains unchanged regardless of changes in the operating position of the door mirror.

Claims

1. A vehicular image display apparatus comprising:

a camera disposed on a movable portion of a vehicle, wherein an operating position of the movable portion is selectively changeable between a first position and a second position and a relative position and orientation of the camera with respect to a vehicle body changes in accordance with the operating position of the movable portion;

a controller that extracts a portion of a taken image data representing a taken image of surroundings of the vehicle taken by the camera, the taken image having the same orientation with respect to the vehicle body as the camera; and

a display device on which an extracted image represented by the extracted portion of the taken image data is displayed visible to a vehicle occupant,

wherein an orientation with respect to the vehicle body of the extracted image is different from either an orientation with respect to the vehicle body of the taken image taken when the camera is in the first position or an orientation with respect to the vehicle body of the taken image taken when the camera is in the second position so that an orientation of the vehicle body in the extracted image is the same regardless of whether the taken image is taken when the camera is in the first position or in the second and

wherein an angular difference between an angular position of the extracted portion of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the first position and an angular position of the extracted portion of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the second position corresponds to an angular difference between an angular position of the movable portion in the first position with respect to the vehicle body and an angular position of the movable portion in the second position with respect to the vehicle body.

2. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a manual adjustment device that changes the orientation of the extracted image with respect to the vehicle body through an operation performed by the vehicle occupant.

3. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a manual adjustment device that changes the angular position of the extracted image with respect to the vehicular body through an operation performed by the vehicle occupant.

4. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable portion is an outer mirror whose operating position is selectively changeable between a deployed position and a retracted position.

5. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory device that stores the taken image data; and

a monitoring device that determines whether there is an abnormality in the extracted image,

wherein if it is determined that there is an abnormality in the extracted image, the taken image data stored in the memory device is reset.

9. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a size of the extracted image is matched to a size of a screen of the display device such that if the size of the extracted image is less than the size of the screen, the extracted image is magnified so that the screen of the display device is filled with only the extracted image or a portion of the taken image that is not extracted is masked out and not displayed.

6. A vehicular image display method that takes a taken image of surroundings of a vehicle taken via a camera disposed on a movable portion of the vehicle, wherein an operating position of the movable portion is selectively changeable between a first position and a second position and a relative position and orientation of the camera with respect to a vehicle body changes in accordance with the operating position of the movable portion, the taken image being represented by taken image data, the method being characterized by further comprising the steps of:

extracting a portion of the taken image data corresponding to a region of the taken image, the region being selected based on the operating position of the movable portion; and

displaying the region of the taken image on a display device visible to a vehicle occupant,

wherein an orientation of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body is different from either an orientation with respect to the vehicle body of the taken image taken when the camera is in the first position or an orientation with respect to the vehicle body of the taken image taken when the camera is in the second position so that an orientation of the vehicle body in the extracted region of the taken image is the same regardless of whether the taken image is taken when the camera is in the first position or in the second position, and

wherein an angular difference between an angular position of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the first position and an angular position of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the second position corresponds to an angular difference between an angular position of the movable portion in the first position with respect to the vehicle body and an angular position of the movable portion in the second position with respect to the vehicle body.

7. The vehicular image display method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

storing the taken image as taken image data; and

determining whether there is an abnormality in the extracted region of the taken image displayed on the display device, and resetting the taken image data stored in the memory device if it is determined that there is an abnormality in the extracted region of the taken image.

10. The vehicular image display method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of matching a size of the extracted region of the taken image with a size of a screen of the display device such that if the extracted region of the taken image is less than the size of the screen, the extracted region of the taken image is magnified so that the screen of the display device is filled with only the extracted region of the taken image or a portion of the taken image outside of the extracted region of the taken image is masked out and not displayed.

8. A vehicular image display apparatus comprising:

a camera disposed on a movable portion of a vehicle, wherein an operating position of the movable portion is selectively changeable between a first position and a second position and a relative position and orientation of the camera with respect to a vehicle body changes in accordance with the operating position of the movable portion;

display control means for extracting a region of a taken image of surroundings of the vehicle taken by the camera, the region being selected based on the operating position of the movable portion; and

display means on which the extracted region of the taken image is displayed visible to a vehicle occupant,

wherein an orientation of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body is different from either an orientation with respect to the vehicle body of the taken image taken when the camera is in the first position or an orientation with respect to the vehicle body of the taken image taken when the camera is in the second position so that an orientation of the vehicle body in the extracted region of the taken image is the same regardless of whether the taken image is taken when the camera is in the first position or in the second position,

wherein an angular difference between an angular position of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the first position and an angular position of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the second position corresponds to an angular difference between an angular position of the movable portion in the first position with respect to the vehicle body and an angular position of the movable portion in the second position with respect to the vehicle body.

11. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a size of the extracted region of the taken image is matched to a size of a screen of the display device such that if the size of the extracted region of the taken image is less than the size of the screen, the extracted region of the taken image is magnified so that the screen of the display device is filled with only the extracted region of the taken image or a portion of the taken image outside of the extracted region of the taken image is masked out and not displayed.

12. A vehicular image display apparatus comprising:

a camera disposed on a movable portion of a vehicle, wherein an operating position of the movable portion is selectively changeable between a first position and a second position and a relative position and orientation of the camera with respect to a vehicle body changes in accordance with the operating position of the movable portion;

a controller that extracts a region of a taken image of surroundings of the vehicle taken by the camera, the region being selected based on the operating position of the movable portion; and

a display device on which the extracted region of the taken image is displayed visible to a vehicle occupant,

wherein an orientation of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body is different from either an orientation with respect to the vehicle body of the taken image taken when the camera is in the first position or an orientation with respect to the vehicle body of the taken image taken when the camera is in the second position so that an orientation of the vehicle body in the extracted region of the taken image is the same regardless of whether the taken image is taken when the camera is in the first position or in the second position,

wherein an angular difference between an angular position of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the first position and an angular position of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the second position corresponds to an angular difference between an angular position of the movable portion in the first position with respect to the vehicle body and an angular position of the movable portion in the second position with respect to the vehicle body.

13. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a manual adjustment device that changes the direction of the orientation of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body through an operation performed by the vehicle occupant.

14. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a manual adjustment device that changes the angular position of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body through an operation performed by the vehicle occupant.

15. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the movable portion is an outer mirror whose operating position is selectively changeable between a deployed position and a retracted position.

16. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a memory device that stores the taken image data; and

a monitoring device that determines whether there is an abnormality in the extracted region of the taken image,

wherein if it is determined that there is an abnormality in the extracted region of the taken image, the taken image data stored in the memory device is reset.

17. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a size of the extracted region of the taken image is matched to a size of a screen of the display device such that if the extracted region of the taken image is less than the size of the screen, the extracted region of the taken image is magnified so that the screen of the display device is filled with only the extracted region of the taken image or a portion of the taken image outside of the extracted region of the taken image is masked out and not displayed.

18. A vehicular image display method that takes a taken image of surroundings of a vehicle taken via a camera disposed on a movable portion of the vehicle, wherein an operating position of the movable portion is selectively changeable between a first position and a second position and a relative position and orientation of the camera with respect to a vehicle body changes in accordance with the operating position of the movable portion, the taken image being represented by taken image data, the method being characterized by further comprising the steps of

extracting a portion of the taken image data corresponding to a region of the taken image, the region being selected based on the operating position of the movable portion,

displaying the region of the taken image on a display device visible to a vehicle occupant,

wherein an angular difference between an angular position of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the first position and an angular position of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the second position corresponds to an angular difference between an angular position of the movable portion in the first position with respect to the vehicle body and an angular position of the movable portion in the second position with respect to the vehicle body.

19. The vehicular image display method according to claim 18, further comprising:

storing the taken image data; and

determining whether there is an abnormality in the extracted region of the taken image, and resetting the taken image data stored in the memory device if it is determined that there is an abnormality in the extracted region of the taken image.

20. The vehicular image display method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of matching a size of the extracted region of the taken image with a size of a screen of the display device such that if the extracted region of the taken image is less than the size of the screen, the extracted region of the taken image is magnified so that the screen of the display device is filled with only the extracted region of the taken image or a portion of the taken image outside of the extracted region of the taken image is masked out and not displayed.

21. A vehicular image display apparatus comprising:

a camera disposed on a movable portion of a vehicle, wherein an operating position of the movable portion is selectively changeable between a first position and a second position and a relative position and orientation of the camera with respect to a vehicle body changes in accordance with the operating position of the movable portion;

display control means for extracting a region of a taken image of surroundings of the vehicle taken by the camera, the region being selected based on the operating position of the movable portion

display means on which the extracted region of the taken image is displayed visible to a vehicle occupant,

wherein an angular difference between an angular position of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the first position and an angular position of the extracted region of the taken image with respect to the vehicle body when the camera is in the second position corresponds to an angular difference between an angular position of the movable portion in the first position with respect to the vehicle body and an angular position of the movable portion in the second position with respect to the vehicle body.

22. The vehicular image display apparatus according to claim 21, wherein a size of the extracted region of the taken image is matched to a size of a screen of the display device such that if the extracted region of the taken image is less than the size of the screen, the extracted region of the taken image is magnified so that the screen of the display device is filled with only the extracted region of the taken image or a portion of the taken image outside of the extracted region of the taken image is masked out and not displayed.