In-vehicle mount display controller, in-vehicle mount display device, display control method, control program and recording medium

• US 7,990,416 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Original Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd. (Faurecia SA)
• Inventors: Kuwata, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brinich; Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US10/557,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,629 Days
• Field of Search: 348116-118, 348/121, 348/143, 348148-149, 340/937
• US Class Current: 348/148
• 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 1/008 allowing the driver to see passengers, e.g. for busses combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• 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 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0085 with adjustment by rotation in their operational position
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• 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 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic

Abstract

The state of a vehicle rear portion such as the state of a rear seat or the like and the state of a vehicle rear side are allowed to be easily grasped at a driver'"'"'s seat, and also the state of a vehicle front side is allowed to be easily grasped at a rear seat.

An in-vehicle display device 10 is equipped with a camera 13, plural monitors 12, 21, an image pickup direction detector 24 for detecting the image pickup direction of the camera 13 and outputting an image pickup direction signal, and a controller 22 for selecting any one of plural monitors 12, 21 on the basis of the image pickup direction signal, and displaying the pickup image of the camera 13 on the selected monitor.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle mount display control device for controlling plural monitors on which a picked-up image from a camera is displayed, the in-vehicle mount display control device comprising:

a display controller for selecting a monitor of the plural monitors on a basis of an image pickup direction of the camera and displaying the picked-up image of the camera on the selected monitor.

2. The in-vehicle mount display control device according to claim 1, wherein the display controller comprises a signal switching portion for switching a monitor of an output destination of an image pickup signal of the camera on a basis of an image pickup direction signal corresponding to the image pickup direction of the camera.

3. The in-vehicle mount display control device according to claim 1, wherein the display controller selects the monitor on a basis of whether the image pickup direction is any one of a forward direction of a vehicle, a direction to a rear seat, and a rearward direction of the vehicle.

4. The in-vehicle mount display control device according to claim 1, wherein the camera is secured to a neighborhood of a ceiling portion in a vehicle.

5. An in-vehicle mount display system, comprising:

a camera;

plural monitors;

an image pickup direction detector for detecting an image pickup direction of the camera and outputting an image pickup direction signal; and

a display controller for selecting a monitor of the plural monitors on a basis of the image pickup direction signal, and displaying a picked-up image of the camera on the selected monitor.

6. The in-vehicle mount display system according to claim 5, wherein the display controller comprises a signal switching portion for switching a monitor of an output destination of the image pickup signal of the camera on a basis of the image pickup direction signal.

7. The in-vehicle mount display control system according to claim 5, wherein the display controller selects a monitor on a basis of a forward direction of a vehicle, a direction to a rear seat, and a rearward direction of the vehicle as the image pickup direction.

8. A method of controlling an in-vehicle mount display system having a camera and plural monitors on which picked-up images of the camera are displayed, said method comprising:

identifying an image pickup direction of the camera; and

selecting a monitor of the plural monitors on a basis of the image pickup direction thus identified and displaying the picked-up images of the camera on the selected monitor.

9. A method for controlling an in-vehicle mount display system having a camera and plural monitors on which picked-up images of the camera are displayed, the method comprising:

identifying, as performed in a processor, an image pickup direction of the camera; and

selecting, as performed in the processor, a monitor of the plural monitors on a basis of the image pickup direction thus identified, and displaying the picked-up images of the camera on the selected monitor.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the monitor is selected on a basis of whether the image pickup direction is any one of a forward direction of a vehicle, a direction to a rear seat, and a rearward direction of the vehicle.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method for controlling an in-vehicle mount display system having a camera and plural monitors on which picked-up images of the camera are displayed, the method comprising:

identifying an image pickup direction of the camera;

selecting a monitor of the plural monitors on a basis of the image pickup direction; and

displaying the picked-up images of the camera on the selected monitor.