JP2011189775A - Posterolateral checking apparatus for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a posterolateral checking device for an automobile that allows, when a driver visually checks a door mirror, the driver to check an image of a posterolateral side of the automobile that is displayed on a monitor device without requiring to take his/her eyes off from the door mirror so as to eliminate a blind spot of the door mirror. <P>SOLUTION: The checking apparatus includes a door mirror R-DM having a predetermined visible region on the posterolateral side of the vehicle, a camera 3 for capturing an image of a posterolateral range at least including the blind spot of the door mirror, and a monitor device 6 arranged in the same direction as the door mirror seen from the driver or a direction that is adjacent to the door mirror, and for displaying an image captured by the camera. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for confirming the rear side (rear part or side) of a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to a rear confirmation in which a so-called blind spot of a door mirror (also referred to as a side mirror) is eliminated and a substantial visual range is enlarged. It relates to the device.

  Door mirrors are provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle body so that the driver of the vehicle can check the rear side of the vehicle. It is already known that there are so-called blind spots in the door mirrors. Various proposals have heretofore been made in order to eliminate or reduce this blind spot. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-133830 proposes a technique for photographing the rear side of the vehicle by photographing means and displaying the photographed image on display means that can be visually recognized by the driver. Patent Document 2 proposes a technique in which an image captured by an imaging unit and displayed on a display unit is a seamless image with an image reflected on a door mirror. Further, Patent Document 3 proposes a technique in which a display unit is provided integrally with a room mirror (also referred to as a rearview mirror), and an image captured by the imaging unit is integrated with an image reflected on the room mirror.

JP 2008-22125 A JP 2009-234494 A JP 2008-230558 A

These techniques of Patent Documents 1 to 3 try to eliminate the blind spot of the door mirror by displaying an image of the rear side of the host vehicle on display means provided separately from the door mirror. In Patent Documents 1 and 2, this display means is disposed on the dashboard in front of the driver's seat, and in Patent Document 3 is disposed on the rear mirror in front of the driver's seat. Therefore, when the driver uses the display means to check the rear side, in addition to viewing the left and right door mirrors of the vehicle, it is necessary to view the image displayed on the display means in front of the driver. The driver needs to change the line of sight at a large angle between the door mirror and the display means. Therefore, it takes time to confirm the rear side, and it is difficult to simultaneously confirm a wide area on the rear side. In Patent Document 3, since the display means is integrated with the rearview mirror, the driver can check the rear side only with the rearview mirror without changing the line of sight, but the rear side is confirmed with the door mirror. In some cases, the rear side cannot be confirmed only by the door mirror, and it is necessary to change the line of sight to visually recognize the display means.

  The object of the present invention is that when the driver visually recognizes the door mirror, it is possible to check the image of the monitor device without changing the line of sight from the door mirror, to eliminate the blind spot of the door mirror and to check the rear side. A rear side confirmation device for a vehicle is provided.

  The present invention relates to a door mirror having a required viewing area on the rear side of a vehicle, a blind spot of the door mirror, that is, a camera for imaging a rear side area other than the viewing area, and the same direction as the door mirror as viewed from the driver of the vehicle. Or it is provided with the monitor apparatus which displays the image | video imaged with the camera arrange | positioned in the direction adjacent to a door mirror.

This monitor device is configured integrally with a door mirror, for example. Or it is arrange | positioned in the position adjacent to a door mirror when it sees from the driver | operator's interior of a vehicle. In the present invention, the image processing means for detecting other vehicles and pedestrians existing behind the vehicle from the images captured by the camera, and the images captured on the monitor device when the other vehicles and pedestrians are detected. It is preferable to include display control means for displaying.

  According to the present invention, when the driver visually recognizes the door mirror, an image obtained by imaging the rear side area of the vehicle displayed on the monitor device arranged in the field of view can be simultaneously recognized. Therefore, the driver can visually recognize the image reflected on the door mirror and the image displayed on the monitor device without changing the line of sight, and the delay in the confirmation of the rear side due to the change of the line of sight can be eliminated. It is possible to simultaneously check a wide area on the rear side of the vehicle.

The figure which shows the visual recognition area and blind spot of a door mirror, and the imaging area of a camera. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the door mirror according to the first embodiment. The block diagram which shows the structure of a camera and a monitor apparatus. The figure which shows an example of the visual image of the door mirror of Embodiment 1, and the visual image of a monitor apparatus. The schematic perspective view of the door mirror of Embodiment 2. FIG. The figure which shows an example of the visual recognition image of the visual recognition image of the door mirror of Embodiment 2, and a monitor apparatus. The schematic perspective view of the door mirror of Embodiment 3. FIG. The figure which shows an example of the visual recognition image in the door mirror of Embodiment 3. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a fourth embodiment. The enlarged view of the principal part of Embodiment 4. FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a fifth embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual configuration diagram illustrating Embodiment 1 of the present invention. A right door mirror R-DM and a left door mirror L-DM are arranged on the right and left sides of the car body of the car CAR, so that the driver DR seated in the driver's seat can see each door mirror R-DM, L-DM. Has been. Here, the rear side viewing area in the left and right door mirrors will be described. Each door mirror R-DM, L-DM can visually recognize a region from the direction along the right side or left side of the host vehicle to the left and right rear side angle θmir. Therefore, a blind spot area Ad as illustrated in the drawing is generated between the front or side angle area where the driver DR can visually recognize the left and right directly and the angle area which can be visually recognized by the door mirrors R-DM and L-DM. It will be.

Since the left and right door mirrors R-DM and L-DM are substantially symmetrical left and right, the right door mirror will be described. The same applies to the following second to fifth embodiments. As shown in a schematic perspective view in FIG. 2 (a), the right door mirror R-DM has a mirror cover 1 attached so as to protrude from the right side surface of the vehicle body, and the mirror cover 1 facing the rear of the vehicle. A mirror (reflecting mirror) 2 is provided in the front opening 1a. The mirror 2 has a function that allows the driver to adjust the angle to a desired angle by tilting the reflecting surface up and down and left and right by a tilting device that is not shown in the figure disposed in the mirror cover 1. A part of the front surface of the mirror cover 1 is provided with a minute opening 1b at a position outside the mirror 2, and the minute opening 1b is constituted by an image pickup device such as a CCD for picking up the right rear side of the own vehicle. An internal camera 3 is arranged. This camera 3 can image at least a region including the blind spot Ad of the right door mirror R-DM shown in FIG. 1, here, a wide angle region θcam including the viewing region θmir and the blind spot region Ad of the door mirror R-DM. ing.

Further, an opening 1c having a shape close to a rectangle is provided on the upper surface of the mirror cover 1, and a sub-cover 4 configured separately is provided in the opening 1c. The sub-cover 4 can be tilted up and down with an end portion 4a directed toward the front side of the host vehicle as a fulcrum by a pop-up mechanism 5 (see FIG. 3) that is not shown in the figure, which is built in the mirror cover 1. As shown in (b), when tilted upward, the front face directed toward the rear of the vehicle is projected into a region along the upper side of the mirror 2. A monitor device 6 composed of a liquid crystal display device (LCD) is disposed on the front surface of the sub cover 4 so that an image captured by the camera 3 can be displayed.

As shown in a block configuration in FIG. 3, the camera 3 is connected to a video processing device 11 that processes captured video. This video processing device 11 analyzes the captured video, detects other vehicles such as automobiles (hereinafter referred to as other vehicles) present in the video, and when other vehicles are detected, a detection signal is sent to the display control device 12. Output. The display control device 12 receives the detection signal from the video processing device 11, drives the pop-up mechanism 5 described above, tilts the sub cover 4 upward, and exposes the monitor device 6 above the mirror cover 1. At the same time, the video signal from the video processing device 11 is displayed on the exposed monitor device 6.

As described above, the left door mirror L-DM has the same configuration except that the left door mirror L-DM is symmetrical to the right door mirror R-DM. The camera provided in the left door mirror L-DM is configured to be able to image a wide angle area θcam including the blind spot area Ad of the left door mirror L-DM shown in FIG. It is also possible to display the obtained video on the monitor device 6.

In the first embodiment, in the right door mirror R-DM, the camera 3 always images a wide area θcam on the right side of the own vehicle. When the driver DR visually recognizes the right door mirror R-DM, the mirror 2 visually recognizes the right rear side of the host vehicle as usual, but at this time, when the other vehicle is not approaching the right rear side, it is normal. It only functions as the door mirror 2. When another vehicle approaches the right rear side of the host vehicle and the camera 3 picks up the image and detects the approach of the other vehicle by the video processing device 11, the detection signal is displayed as shown in FIG. Thus, the display control device 12 drives the pop-up mechanism 5 to tilt the sub cover 4 upward to expose the monitor device 6. At the same time, the display control device 12 displays the captured image on the monitor device 6. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the driver DR visually recognizes the image reflected by the mirror 2 with the line of sight toward the right door mirror R-DM, and at the same time, visually recognizes the image captured by the camera 3 displayed on the monitor device 6. can do. Therefore, when another vehicle approaches the blind spot Ad of the right door mirror R-DM, the other vehicle cannot be visually recognized by the mirror 2, but the other vehicle can be viewed from the image displayed on the monitor device 6. Become. In this example, the bus BUS traveling on the rear side away from the host vehicle can be visually recognized by the mirror 2, but the passenger car CED approaching the host vehicle is present in the blind spot Ad and cannot be viewed by the mirror 2, but the camera 3 The passenger car CED imaged in (1) can be visually recognized on the monitor device 6. That is, the driver DR can visually recognize the right rear side region of the vehicle without causing a blind spot without removing the line of sight from the right door mirror R-DM, so that the right rear side can be confirmed quickly and in a wide range. It can be confirmed and is extremely useful for safe driving.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5A is a schematic configuration diagram of the right door mirror R-DM according to the second embodiment. The point that the camera 3 is disposed on the mirror cover 1 of the right door mirror R-DM is the same as that of the first embodiment. The mirror 2 disposed on the mirror cover 1 is also configured in such a manner that it can be tilted by the same vertical and horizontal tilt mechanisms as in the first embodiment. In Embodiment 2, the surface of the mirror 2 is composed of a normal reflecting mirror, but a monitor device 6 composed of a liquid crystal device is integrally formed on the back surface side. The mirror 2 and the monitor device 6 are fitted inside the frame body 2a tilted by the tilt mechanism, and are vertically moved around the support shaft 2b with respect to the frame body 2a by the support shaft 2b protruding to the left and right sides. The mirror 2 on the front surface and the monitor device 6 on the back surface can be selectively reversed to the front surface of the mirror cover 1 by a rotation mechanism not shown in the figure. FIG. 5B shows a state in which the mirror 2 and the monitor device 6 are rotating and reversing.

  In the second embodiment, when the other vehicle is not approaching the region on the right rear side, the rotating mechanism rotates the reflecting mirror of the mirror 2 to the front. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, the mirror 2 functions as a normal door mirror and can visually recognize the rear side of the host vehicle. When another vehicle is approaching the area on the right rear side, as shown in FIG. 6B, the video processing device 11 detects the other vehicle from the image captured by the camera 3, and displays based on the detection signal. The control device 12 rotates the mirror 2 by the rotation mechanism, rotates the monitor device 6 in front of the mirror cover 1, and displays an image of a wide area on the right rear side of the own vehicle captured by the camera 3. Therefore, when the driver DR is viewing the right door mirror R-DM and another vehicle approaches, the right door mirror R-DM is switched from the mirror 2 to the monitor device 6, and the image captured by the camera 3 is displayed on the monitor device 6. This is displayed, and the driver DR visually recognizes this. Accordingly, the driver DR can visually check the image displayed on the monitor device 6 without taking his / her line of sight from the right door mirror R-DM, and can quickly confirm the right rear side area of the vehicle without causing a blind spot. This is extremely useful for safe driving.

  Although illustration is omitted, when the door mirror is downsized or thinned, if it is difficult to secure a space in the mirror cover to rotate the mirror up and down and to reverse the front and back, the mirror is moved up and down 2 2 or 3 layers divided into 3 or 3 layers, each divided mirror is rotated in the vertical direction, and the reflecting mirror and the monitor device of each divided mirror in the rotated position are set in a seamless state vertically. You may comprise so that it may become one continuous reflective mirror or a monitor apparatus. Since the rotation radius of each divided mirror can be reduced, the door mirror can be made smaller and thinner.

(Embodiment 3)
In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the left half in the left-right direction of the mirror 2 of the right door mirror R-DM is configured as a normal reflecting mirror and fixedly supported on the frame 2a. The right half of the mirror 2 is configured by a reflecting mirror on the front surface as in the second embodiment, and the back surface is configured as a monitor device 6 such as a liquid crystal device. When the right side portion of the mirror is referred to as a sub mirror 2A, the sub mirror 2 is rotated in the vertical direction by the support shaft 2b provided on the left and right as in the second embodiment, and the sub mirror 2A and the monitor device 6 are selectively rotated. Try to position.

  When the other vehicle is not approaching to the right rear side of the vehicle, the sub mirror 2A has the reflecting mirror facing the front, so that the door mirror R-DM functions as a normal door mirror with the mirror 2 and the sub mirror 2A. To do. When the camera 3 captures an image of another vehicle approaching the right rear side of the host vehicle, the display control device 12 rotates the sub mirror 2A so that the monitor device 6 faces the front, and the image captured by the camera 3 as shown in FIG. Is displayed on the monitor device 6. Therefore, when the driver DR is viewing the right door mirror R-DM and another vehicle approaches, the right door mirror R-DM switches the sub mirror 2A to the monitor device 6, and the image captured by the camera 3 is displayed on the monitor device 6. indicate. The driver DR comes to visually recognize the image shown on the mirror 2 and the video shown on the monitor device 6 at the same time. Accordingly, the driver DR can visually check the image displayed on the monitor device 6 without taking his / her line of sight from the right door mirror R-DM, and can quickly confirm the right rear side area of the vehicle without causing a blind spot. This is extremely useful for safe driving.

  Here, the video displayed on the monitor device 6 may be a video slightly compressed in the left-right direction. In FIG. 8, the image of the mirror 2 and the image of the monitor device 6 are displayed as independent images, but the image reflected on the mirror 2 and the monitor device 6 are controlled by the video processing device 11 and the display control device 12. The displayed video may be visually recognized as a seamless batch video.

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of the fourth embodiment, and the right door mirror R-DM is the same as an existing door mirror except that the camera 3 is the same as that of the first embodiment. On the other hand, the portion of the driver's seat facing the right door R-DO is located near the door mirror R-DM, preferably from the liquid crystal display device to the portion that can be seen side by side inside the door mirror R-DM when viewed from the driver. A monitor device 6 is provided. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 10, here, a rectangular pocket portion 7a having an open upper end is provided in a part of the door inner panel 7 on the driver side, and the monitor device 6 is vertically moved inside the pocket portion 7a. It is slidable in the direction and can be projected upward to a position overlapping with a partial region of the opening of the right door R-DO by a slide mechanism not shown in the drawing. When the monitor device 6 protrudes above the pocket portion 7a by driving the slide mechanism, the monitor device 6 is arranged at a position aligned with the door mirror R-DM in the vehicle compartment along the right door R-DO. The monitor device 6 and the slide mechanism are configured to be controlled by the display control means 12 as in the first embodiment.

In the fourth embodiment, when another vehicle approaches the right rear side area, the video processing device 11 detects the other vehicle from the image captured by the camera 3, and the display control device 12 is based on the detection signal. The monitor device 6 is moved up by the slide mechanism and arranged at the position on the left side of the door mirror R-DM in the vehicle interior, and an image obtained by imaging a wide area on the right rear side of the own vehicle imaged by the camera 3 is displayed. At this time, the image that can be viewed with the right door mirror R-DM and the image that can be viewed with the monitor device 6 are the same as those in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. Accordingly, the driver visually recognizes the right door mirror R-DM, and at the same time, visually recognizes the image displayed on the monitor device 6 with almost no line of sight from the right door mirror R-DM, and makes a blind spot in the right rear side area of the vehicle. This makes it possible to quickly check without occurrence, which is extremely useful for safe driving.

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of the fifth embodiment, which is a modification of the fourth embodiment. A projection monitor device 6A such as a small projector is disposed at a position facing the right door mirror R-DM in the passenger compartment, for example, at a part of the dashboard. This projection monitor device 6A is adjacent to a part of the surface of the side window glass SWG where the projection optical axis closes the opening of the right door R-DO, particularly a portion through which the driver sees the right door mirror R-DM. It is directed to the part, here the part adjacent to the left side. Then, when the projection monitor device 6A is driven, an image is projected onto a part of the side window glass SWG as illustrated in FIG. 11, and the driver can visually recognize the projected image. ing.

  In the fifth embodiment, when the other vehicle is not approaching the area on the right rear side, the driver sees the image reflected on the mirror 2 of the right door mirror R-DM through the side window glass SWG. When another vehicle is approaching the area on the right rear side, the video processing device 11 detects another vehicle or a pedestrian from the image captured by the camera 3, and the display control device 12 detects the projection monitor based on the detection signal. The device 6A is driven, and an image obtained by imaging a wide area on the right rear side of the host vehicle captured by the camera 3 is projected onto the side window glass SWG. At this time, the image that can be viewed with the right door mirror R-DM and the image that can be projected and viewed with the monitor device 6A are the same as those in the second embodiment shown in FIGS. Therefore, the driver can visually recognize the right door mirror R-DM, and at the same time, can visually recognize the image of a wide area on the right rear side projected on the side window glass SWG adjacent to the right door mirror R-DM. The driver can visually recognize the image projected by the projection monitor device 6A with almost no line of sight from the right door mirror R-DM, and can quickly confirm the right rear side area of the vehicle without causing blind spots. This is extremely useful for safe driving.

In the case of the fifth embodiment, display may be performed on the right side of the right door mirror R-DM in the projection monitor device 6A. In this case, as in the third embodiment, the projection monitor device 6A projects an image of a region corresponding to the blind spot in the right region further than the viewing region of the right door mirror R-DM by the control of the display control device 12. Also good. The driver can visually recognize the image reflected on the right door mirror R-DM and the image projected by the projection monitor device 6A as a series of images that are seamlessly arranged on the left and right, so that it can function and display as a display device with a wide display area. This makes it possible to view a large image.

  Here, in the first to fifth embodiments, when displaying an image of the rear side of the vehicle on the monitor device, attention should be paid by displaying other vehicles in the image with high luminance or blinking. You may make it add the warning display which evokes. In particular, when a vehicle joins on a highway, other vehicles that are likely to enter a blind spot in overtaking or other vehicles that are approaching the host vehicle may generate a warning sound in addition to the warning display. Further, in the present invention, the other vehicle approaching the own vehicle is detected and the image is displayed on the monitor device, but the same display is performed when a pedestrian approaching the own vehicle is detected. You may do it.

  The camera according to the present invention is not necessarily provided in the door mirror, and may be disposed on a part of the body of the automobile. Moreover, the structure other than Embodiments 1-5 can be employ | adopted for the structure which arrange | positions a monitor apparatus in a door mirror or a vehicle interior. Moreover, you may make it display an image | video with a monitor apparatus at arbitrary timings by a driver | operator's judgment irrespective of the presence or absence of the other vehicle which approaches the own vehicle like embodiment. For example, it is effective in confirming pedestrians and obstacles around the vehicle by forcibly displaying the image on the monitor device when the vehicle moves backward such as when parking. Become. Even in such a case, the driver can visually recognize the image by the monitor device without removing the line of sight from the door mirror, which is extremely effective for safety confirmation.

  The present invention can be applied to a vehicle such as an automobile having a door mirror.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mirror cover 2 Mirror 3 Camera 4 Sub cover 5 Pop-up mechanism 6, 6A Monitor device 7 Inner panel 11 Image processing device 12 Display control device

Claims (4)

  A door mirror having a required viewing area on the rear side of the vehicle, a camera that captures at least a rear side area other than the viewing area of the door mirror, and adjacent to the door mirror in the same direction as the door mirror as viewed from the driver of the vehicle A rear side confirmation device for a vehicle, comprising a monitor device arranged in a direction and displaying an image captured by the camera.   The vehicle rear side confirmation device according to claim 1, wherein the monitor device is configured integrally with the door mirror.   2. The vehicle rear side confirmation device according to claim 1, wherein the monitor device is disposed in a vehicle interior at a position adjacent to the door mirror when viewed from a driver. Image processing means for detecting other vehicles and pedestrians present on the rear side of the vehicle from the images captured by the camera, and display control for displaying the images captured on the Nimota device when other vehicles and pedestrians are detected The vehicle rear side confirmation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: means.

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