Vehicular image display system and image display control method

• US 8,553,087 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yanai, Tatsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Czekaj, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Werner, David N
• Application Number:
  US11/008,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20050128061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,224 Days
• Field of Search: 348/147, 348/159, 348/211.11, 348/148, 340/933, 340/937, 340/938, 701300-302
• 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 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/404 triggering from stand-by mode to operation mode
• 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 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An image display system provided on a vehicle, which takes a side-rear view image of a first area alongside and to the rear of the vehicle, computes running conditions of the vehicle and an obstacle in the first area using the side-rear view image, determines a time point to start displaying the side-rear view image based on the computed running conditions, and presents the side-rear view image at the time point.

Claims

1. An image display system provided on a vehicle, comprising:

a first image taking device which takes both a right side-rear view image of a first area along the right side and to the rear of the vehicle and a rear view image of a second area to the rear of the vehicle, or at least the right side-rear view image;

a second image taking device which takes both a left side-rear view image of a third area along the left side and to the rear of the vehicle and the rear view image of the second area, or at least the left side-rear view image;

a first running condition computing unit which performs image processing on data of the images taken by the first and second image taking devices, and which thereby detects a road lane in which the vehicle is running, to compute a running condition of the vehicle indicating whether the vehicle is making a lane change, wherein the first running condition computing unit sets a right threshold line at the right side of the road lane and a left threshold line at the left side of the road lane, the right and left threshold lines being positioned relative to the road lane;

a second running condition computing unit which performs image processing on data of the images taken by the first and second image taking devices, to compute a running condition of an obstacle in the first area or in the second area or in the third area;

a display start judgment unit which determines a first display start time point to start displaying the right side-rear view image and a second display start time point to start displaying the left side-rear view image based on the running conditions of the vehicle and the obstacle computed by the first and second running condition computing units, wherein the display start judgment unit determines the first display start time point as being a time point at which a first point in a defined region of the obstacle in the images processed by the second running condition computing unit passes the right threshold line and determines the second display start time point as being a time point at which a second point in the defined region of the obstacle passes the left threshold line; and

a presenting device which starts displaying the right side-rear view image at the first display start time point and starts displaying the left side-rear view image at the second display start time point.

2. The image display system according to claim 1, wherein the right and left threshold lines are set to maintain their positions relative to the road lane as the vehicle makes the lane change.

3. The image display system according to claim 1, wherein, when the second running condition computing unit computes the running condition of the obstacle in the second area, the right and left threshold lines are set along the right and left sides of the road lane in which the vehicle is running, respectively.

4. The image display system according to claim 1, wherein when the second running condition computing unit computes the running condition of the obstacle in the first area or in the third area, the right threshold line is set along a right side boundary of a right side blind-spot area of the vehicle and the left threshold line is set along a left side boundary of a left side blind-spot area of the vehicle.

5. The image display system according to claim 1, further comprising;

an image creating unit for creating a highlighted side-rear view image with the obstacle highlighted therein depending on the running conditions of the vehicle and the obstacle computed by the first and second running condition computing units.

6. The image display system according to claim 5, wherein the presenting device presents the highlighted side-rear view image with the obstacle causing the determination of the display start time point highlighted, as the first running condition computing unit detects the vehicle making the lane change.

7. The image display system according to claim 5, wherein the second running condition computing unit computes a relative position, direction, or speed of the obstacle, and

the image creating unit includes a display of data thereof in the highlighted side-rear view image.

8. The image display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an annunciator which beeps at the first display start time point or at the second display start time point determined by the display start judgment unit.

9. An image display control method for an image display system, comprising:

taking both a right side-rear view image of a first area along the right side and to the rear of a vehicle and a rear view image of a second area to the rear of the vehicle, or at least the right side-rear view image, by a first image taking device;

taking both a left side-rear view image of a third area along the left side and to the rear of the vehicle and the rear view image of the second area, or at least the left side-rear view image, by a second image taking device;

performing image processing on data of the images taken by the first and second image taking devices, thereby detecting a road lane in which the vehicle is running, to compute a running condition of the vehicle indicating whether the vehicle is making a lane change, and setting a right threshold line at the right side of the road lane and a left threshold line at the left side of the road lane, the right and left threshold lines being positioned relative to the road lane, by a controller;

performing image processing on data of the images taken by the first and second image taking devices, to compute a running condition of an obstacle in the first area or in the second area or in the third area, by the controller;

determining a first display start time point to start displaying the right side-rear view image and a second display start time point to start displaying the left side-rear view image based on the computed running conditions of the vehicle and the obstacle, by the controller, wherein the first display start time point is determined as being a time point at which a first point in a defined region of the obstacle in the images processed by the controller passes the right threshold line and the second display start time point is determined as being a time point at which a second point in the defined region of the obstacle passes the left threshold line; and

starting displaying, by a presenting device, the right side-rear view image at the first display start time point and the left side-rear view image at the second display start time point.

10. The image display control method according to claim 9, wherein the right and left threshold lines are set to maintain their positions relative to the road lane as the vehicle makes the lane change.

11. The image display control method according to claim 9, wherein, when computing the running condition of the obstacle in the second area, the right and left threshold lines are set along the right and left sides of the road lane in which the vehicle is running, respectively.

12. The image display control method according to claim 9, wherein, when computing the running condition of the obstacle in the first area or in the third area, the right threshold line is set along a right side boundary of a right side blind-spot area of the vehicle and the left threshold line is set along a left side boundary of a left side blind-spot area of the vehicle.

13. The image display control method according to claim 9, further comprising:

creating a highlighted side-rear view image with the obstacle highlighted therein depending on the computed running conditions of the vehicle and the obstacle.

14. The image display control method according to claim 13, wherein the highlighted side-rear view image is presented with the obstacle causing the determination of the display start time point highlighted, as the lane change of the vehicle is detected by processing data of the taken images.

15. The image display control method according to claim 13, wherein a relative position, direction, or speed of the obstacle is computed, and a display of data thereof is included in the highlighted side-rear view image.

16. An information presenting system provided on a vehicle, comprising:

a first image taking device which takes both a right side-rear view image of a first area along the right side and to the rear of the vehicle and a rear view image of a second area to the rear of the vehicle, or at least the right side-rear view image;

a second image taking device which takes both a left side-rear view image of a third area along the left side and to the rear of the vehicle and the rear view image of the second area, or at least the left side-rear view image;

a first running condition computing unit which performs image processing on data of the images taken by the first and second image taking devices, and which thereby detects a road lane in which the vehicle is running, to compute a running condition of the vehicle indicating whether the vehicle is making a lane change, wherein the first running condition computing unit sets a right threshold line along the right side of the road lane and a left threshold line along the left side of the road lane, the right and left threshold lines being positioned relative to the road lane;

a second running condition computing unit which performs image processing on data of the images taken by the first and second image taking devices, to compute a running condition of an obstacle running in the first area or in the second area or in the third area;

a presentation start judgment unit which determines, based on the running conditions of the vehicle and the obstacle computed by the first and second running condition computing units, a first presentation start time to start presenting a first information of the obstacle running in the first area or moving into the first area and a second presentation start time to start presenting a second information of the obstacle running in the third area or moving into the third area, wherein the presentation start judgment unit determines the first presentation start time as being a time point at which a first point in a defined region of the obstacle in the images processed by the second running condition computing unit passes the right threshold line and determines the second presentation start time as being a time point at which a second point in the defined region of the obstacle passes the left threshold line; and

a presenting device which starts presenting the first information at the first presentation start time and starts presenting the second information at the second presentation start time.

17. An image display control method for an image display system, comprising:

taking both a right side-rear view image of a first area along the right side and to the rear of a vehicle and a rear view image of a second area to the rear of the vehicle, or at least the right side-rear view image, by a first image taking device;

taking both a left side-rear view image of a third area along the left side and to the rear of the vehicle and the rear view image of the second area, or at least the left side-rear view image, by a second image taking device;

performing image processing on data of the images taken by the first and second image taking devices, thereby detecting a road lane in which the vehicle is running, to compute a running condition of the vehicle indicating whether the vehicle is making a lane change, and setting a right threshold line at the right side of the road lane and a left threshold line at the left side of the road lane, the right and left threshold lines being positioned relative to the road lane, by a controller;

performing image processing on data of the images taken by the first and second image taking devices, to compute a running condition of an obstacle running in the first area or in the second area or in the third area, by the controller;

determining, based on the running conditions of the vehicle and the obstacle computed by the controller, a first presentation start time to start presenting a first information of the obstacle running in the first area or moving into the first area and a second presentation start time to start presenting a second information of the obstacle running in the third area or moving into the third area, wherein the first presentation start time is determined as being a time point at which a first point in a defined region of the obstacle in the images processed by the controller passes the right threshold line and the second presentation start time is determined as being a time point at which a second point in the defined region of the obstacle passes the left threshold line; and

starting presenting, by a presenting device, the first information at the first presentation start time and the second information at the second presentation start time.