Vehicle with system for detecting arrival at cross road and automatically displaying side-front camera image

• US 9,964,642 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hada, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith-Stewart, Demetra R
• Application Number:
  US15/015,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20170227637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• 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: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/87 Combinations of sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/87 Combinations of systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9315 Monitoring blind spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 : Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A vehicle includes a proximity sensor that senses a distance to objects located to at least one side of the vehicle, a camera mounted at the front of the vehicle, a display for displaying video from the camera, and processing circuitry that detects a transition of the vehicle from surroundings of the vehicle in which at least one object located to the side of the vehicle is within a predetermined proximity threshold distance to surrounding of the vehicle in which no objects are located to the side of the vehicle within the predetermined proximity threshold distance, and in response to determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, the processing circuitry is configured to display video from the camera on the display of the vehicle. Additional criteria for displaying the video can include vehicle speed, distance traveled prior to the transition, duration for which the state prior to the transition was maintained, and the state of the vehicle'"'"'s turn signal.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a front;

a first side;

a second side;

a proximity sensor configured to sense a distance to objects located to at least one of the first side and the second side of the vehicle;

a camera mounted at the front of the vehicle, the camera configured to include a field of view that includes a view to at least one of the first side and the second side of the vehicle;

a display in the vehicle; and

processing circuitry coupled to the proximity sensor, the camera, and the display, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to;

determine that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected a transition of the vehicle from surroundings of the vehicle in which at least one object located to at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle is within a predetermined proximity threshold distance to surroundings of the vehicle in which no objects are located to the at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle within the predetermined proximity threshold distance, and

in response to determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, the processing circuitry is configured to display video from the camera on the display of the vehicle, wherein

in determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that prior to the transition the vehicle was traveling at a speed less than a predetermined speed threshold, and

the display of the video from the camera on the display is also conditioned on the vehicle having been traveling at the speed less than the predetermined speed threshold prior to the transition.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 wherein:

in determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that prior to the transition, the vehicle had traveled a distance at least equal to a predetermined travel distance while the vehicle was in the surroundings of the vehicle in which at least one object was located to at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle within the predetermined proximity threshold distance.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 wherein:

in determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that prior to the transition, for at least a predetermine period of time the vehicle was in the surroundings of the vehicle in which at least one object was located to at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle within the predetermined proximity threshold distance.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 wherein:

in determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine when a turn signal of the vehicle has been activated.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 wherein:

the proximity sensor has a horizontal field of view at least partly overlaps the range of 75°

to 85°

degrees from a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 wherein:

the field of view of the proximity sensor has a horizontal angular extent of at least 10 degrees.

7. A method of operating a camera and a display of a vehicle in response to a proximity sensor of the vehicle, the method comprising:

determining with processing circuitry that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected a transition of the vehicle from surroundings of the vehicle in which at least one object located to at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle is within a predetermined proximity threshold distance to surroundings of the vehicle in which no objects are located to the at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle within the predetermined proximity threshold distance; and

in response to determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, using the processing circuitry to display video from the camera on the display of the vehicle, wherein

determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, includes determining with the processing circuitry that prior to the transition the vehicle was traveling at a speed less than a predetermined speed threshold, and

the display of the video from the camera on the display is also conditioned on the vehicle having been traveling at the speed less than the predetermined speed threshold prior to the transition.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein:

determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, includes determining that prior to the transition, the vehicle had traveled a distance at least equal to a predetermined travel distance while the vehicle was in the surroundings of the vehicle in which at least one object was located to at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle within the predetermined proximity threshold distance.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein:

determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, includes determining that prior to the transition, for at least a predetermine period of time the vehicle was in the surroundings of the vehicle in which at least one object was located to at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle within the predetermined proximity threshold distance.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein:

determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, includes determining when a turn signal of the vehicle has been activated.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium including programming instructions for

operating a camera and a display of a vehicle in response to a proximity sensor of the vehicle, including programming instructions for:

determining with processing circuitry that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected a transition of the vehicle from surroundings of the vehicle in which at least one object located to at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle is within a predetermined proximity threshold distance to surroundings of the vehicle in which no objects are located to the at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle within the predetermined proximity threshold distance; and

in response to determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, using the processing circuitry to display video from the camera on the display of the vehicle, wherein

determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, includes determining with the processing circuitry that prior to the transition the vehicle was traveling at a speed less than a predetermined speed threshold, and

the display of the video from the camera on the display is also conditioned on the vehicle having been traveling at the speed less than the predetermined speed threshold prior to the transition.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 11 further including programming instructions for:

determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, includes determining that prior to the transition, the vehicle had traveled a distance at least equal to a predetermined travel distance while the vehicle was in the surroundings of the vehicle in which at least one object was located to at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle within the predetermined proximity threshold distance.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 11 further including programming instructions for:

determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, includes determining that prior to the transition, for at least a predetermine period of time the vehicle was in the surroundings of the vehicle in which at least one object was located to at least one of the first side of the vehicle and the second side of the vehicle within the predetermined proximity threshold distance.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 11 further including programming instructions for:

determining that, at least, the proximity sensor has detected the transition, includes determining when a turn signal of the vehicle has been activated.