Display device

• US 8,207,868 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shafi, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US13/062,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20110166782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 701/208, 701/432, 348/118, 348/E7.087, 340/995.17, 340/461, 340/525, 342/176
• US Class Current: 340/995.17
• 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 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/20 characterised by the type of display used
• 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 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/306 using a re-scaling of images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• 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 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A display device includes a camera for capturing an image around a vehicle body; a monitor provided in a vehicle interior; and a display control unit for controlling a display of the monitor. The monitor has a rectangle-shaped display face, and is supported switchably between a vertically elongated posture and a horizontally elongated posture. When the monitor is switched to the vertically elongated posture, based on an image captured by the camera, the display control unit displays a top view image of a road surface around the vehicle body seen from above on the monitor.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a camera for capturing an image around a vehicle body;

a monitor provided in a vehicle interior; and

a display control unit for controlling a display on the monitor,

the monitor having a rectangle-shaped display face, and being supported switchably between a vertically elongated posture and a horizontally elongated posture a shift position sensor for detecting a shift position of a transmission device of the vehicle body, and

the display control unit being configured to display a top view image of a road surface around the vehicle body seen from above on the monitor, based on an image captured by the camera, the top view image being displayed based on a determination that the monitor is switched to the vertically elongated posture, and to display the image captured by the camera on the monitor, the image captured by the camera being displayed based on a determination that the monitor is switched to the horizontally elongated posture;

wherein the camera is a rear camera for capturing an image rearward of the vehicle body, the display control unit is configured to shift a display mode to a rearward image display mode in which an image captured by the rear camera is displayed on the monitor, when the monitor is set to the horizontally elongated posture and the shift position sensor detects that the shift position is set to a reverse position, and

the display control unit is configured to shift the display mode to a top view image display mode in which the top view image is displayed instead of the image captured by the rear camera, when the display mode is in the rearward image display mode and the monitor is switched to the vertically elongated posture;

the display control unit is configured to perform a processing of the rearward image display mode in which the image captured by the rear camera is displayed on the monitor instead of the top view image, when the monitor in the top view image display mode is switched to the horizontally elongated posture and the shift position is in the reverse position.

2. The display device according to claim 1,

further comprising a viewpoint conversion unit for converting at least the image captured by the rear camera into a bird'"'"'s-eye image seen from above the vehicle body,

wherein the display control unit is configured to display the bird'"'"'s-eye image on the monitor as the top view image when the display mode is in the top view image display mode.

3. The display device according to claim 1,

further comprising a side camera for capturing from above the road surface near a side part of the vehicle body to obtain a side image,

wherein the display control unit is configured to display the side image on the monitor as the top view image when the display mode is in the top view image display mode.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the display control unit is configured to display an image obtained by enlarging the side image as the top view image, when the display mode is in the top view image display mode, the monitor displaying the side image as the top view image is switched to the horizontally elongated posture, and the shift position is in a position other than the reverse position.

5. The display device according to claim 1,

further comprising:

a viewpoint conversion unit for converting at least the image captured by the rear camera into a bird'"'"'s-eye image seen from above the vehicle body;

and a side camera for capturing from above the road surface near a side part of the vehicle body to obtain a side image,

wherein the display control unit is configured to select one of the bird'"'"'s-eye image and the side image in accordance with an operation of a display selection switch and to display the selected image on the monitor as the top view image, when the display mode is in the top view image display mode.

6. The display device according to claim 1,

further comprising a navigation system for acquiring a position of the vehicle body as position information represented by the terrestrial longitude and latitude and for generating a navigation image in which a position specified by the acquired position information is indicated on a corresponding map,

wherein the display control unit is configured to perform a processing of a navigation image display mode in which the navigation image is displayed instead of the top view image, when the monitor in the top view image display mode is switched to the horizontally elongated posture and the shift position is in a position other than the reverse position.