JP7194890B2 - car mirror device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a side mirror for viewing the situation in the left and right direction in front of an automobile and a mirror device for viewing the rear view of the left and right doors . The present invention relates to a mirror device that individually displays left and right appearances in left and right image sections according to a monitor command from a computer serving as an image processing section by means of line-of-sight sensors arranged at left and right positions for detecting the line of sight from the hand's eye .

In recent years, for example, drive recorders have become popular as means for solving problems while driving. This drive recorder is equipped with a function to record the forward and rearward visibility of the own vehicle, as well as other vehicle conditions in a 360-degree circumference, and is used as a device to deal with traffic troubles. Furthermore, driving support systems with improved functions have also been developed.

An example of the above-described driving support system is capable of determining an abnormality in an image capturing unit mounted on a vehicle and increasing the degree of freedom regarding the installation position and image capturing area of the image capturing unit. Specifically, the imaging system 1 includes a plurality of cameras C1, C2, and C3 provided in the vehicle V for imaging different ranges including the driving lane LV, and based on the images captured by the cameras C1, C2, and C3, , and a control unit 10 for detecting the driving state of the vehicle V with respect to the driving lane LV for each of the cameras C1, C2, and C3. The control unit 10 compares the running states of the vehicle V between different cameras C1, C2, and C3, and when the running states of the vehicle V between the cameras C1, C2, and C3 are different, one of the cameras C1, C2, and C3 is selected. is determined to be abnormal. (See Patent Document 1, for example).

The driving support system is provided in a vehicle, and includes a plurality of photographing units for photographing different ranges including a driving lane; and a control unit for detecting the above, wherein the control unit compares the running states of the vehicles of the different photographing units, and when the running states of the vehicles of the photographing units differ, one of the plurality of photographing units is detected. is determined to be abnormal.
Thereby, the photographing unit is at least one of a rear side photographing unit for photographing the rear side of the vehicle instead of the door mirror, and a rear photographing unit for photographing the rear of the vehicle instead of the rearview mirror. is preferred.

According to the above configuration, in a photographing system in which the second photographing unit is the photographing unit that replaces the door mirrors and rearview mirrors, it is possible to determine that the photographing unit is abnormal. It is effective in vehicles that do not have it. is to say

JP 2018-70077 A

The driving support system device of Patent Document 1 is preferably at least one of a rear photographing unit for photographing the rear of the vehicle instead of the rearview mirror, and is capable of determining that the photographing unit is abnormal. This is effective for vehicles that do not have door mirrors or rearview mirrors. Say.
However, this driving support system apparatus performs a large amount of information processing with a large number of sensors while sensing the driving lane, and displays the information on a video device in the vehicle, which makes the driving operation complicated. In addition, this driving support system device has the drawback that it cannot operate on roads without traffic lanes.

Furthermore, in automobiles, the causes of accidents that occur during manual operation by the driver include:
(1) When entering a wide road from a narrow alley, the visibility to the left and right sides is obstructed by buildings, etc., which is bad.
Particularly at night, the visibility of unlit bicycles and pedestrians is poor, and collisions at the intersection are likely to occur frequently. This is because the front end of the automobile protrudes farther forward than the driver's seat, so the driver's seat must be stopped forward to a position where the left and right vision can be confirmed.
(2) Since the door mirrors protrude 20 cm from the door to the front, back, left, and right, the door mirrors can cause collisions with bicycles or motorcycles passing from behind when the vehicle is stopped at an intersection. injuries to pedestrians and pedestrians often occur.
(3) Furthermore, since the door mirrors are arranged on the outer side of the door, which is closer to the outside than the forward field of vision, when checking the rear from the door mirrors, the driver's line of sight is in the front and left and right outside the door mirrors. Because it moves a lot to the front, you may not be able to pay attention to the front for a moment, and you may not be able to respond when the vehicle in front suddenly stops. That said, there is a big problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above driving support system device, the door mirrors, and the problems in checking left and right from a narrow alley.
The object and configuration of the present invention are
In the above mirror device, line-of-sight sensors for detecting the line of sight of the driver in the driver's seat are provided at the left, right, top, and bottom positions of each image section, and each image section (monitor) sensed by each line-of-sight sensor is positioned to the left, right, or the vehicle. It projects images of the sides and rear.

In order to achieve the above object, the mirror device of the first embodiment of the present invention is provided with video cameras for confirming the left and right visual fields at the left and right positions of the front of the automobile that protrude forward from the driver's seat. An automobile in which a video unit is arranged inside the left and right triangular windows or at the left and right positions of the dashboard , and the front left and right views are projected on the video unit by the video signal from the video processing unit that processes the video signal from each video camera. In the mirror device of
Line-of-sight sensors for detecting the driver's line of sight, i.e. pupils, are provided at the upper and lower positions in the left and right imaging units, respectively. is characterized in that the left and right appearances are displayed on the image section in response to a monitor command from a computer serving as an image processing section.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mirror apparatus for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the appearance projected by the image processing section according to a command from the computer is determined by eye line sensors provided at upper left and right positions in the image section. When any of them senses the driver's eye line of sight, either of the front left and right visual fields is projected, and any of the eye line sensors provided at the lower left and right positions in the image unit senses the driver's eye line of sight. Time is characterized by projecting the rear view of either the left or right door.

According to the mirror device of the first embodiment of the present invention, in the mirror device, the appearance projected by the video unit in accordance with the command from the computer varies from the front left and right visual field of the vehicle to the left and right rear visual field of the vehicle with respect to the line of sight direction of the driver. Since the range of about 90° is displayed respectively, a wide range from the front left and right visual field of the automobile to the left and right rear visual field of the automobile is projected in each of the left and right image portions, thereby obtaining a wider visual field and contributing to safe driving.

Furthermore, according to the mirror device of the second embodiment, the appearance projected by the left and right image units in response to a command from the computer is the front image when the line-of-sight sensor provided in the upper part of the image unit detects the line of sight from the driver's eyes. The left and right views are projected, and when the rear sensor installed in the lower part of the image unit detects the line of sight from the driver's eyes, the rear view of the left and right doors is projected, so only the image corresponding to the situation you want to see is displayed large in the image unit. , can further contribute to safe driving.

1A and 1B are a plan view and a side view of an automobile equipped with a mirror device, showing a conventional first embodiment; It is a front view of the driver's seat which shows the conventional 1st Embodiment and was provided with the mirror apparatus. It is a front view of the driver's seat which showed the conventional 2nd Embodiment and provided with the mirror apparatus. It is a block diagram of the electric control circuit of a mirror apparatus which shows embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram of a video unit and a control circuit in a driver's seat equipped with a mirror device. It is a front view which shows embodiment of this invention and shows the image|video part of a mirror apparatus. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention and is a front view and a side view of a front end portion of an automobile;

Hereinafter, each embodiment of the mirror device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG.

A conventional mirror device 100 is shown in FIGS. 1-4. In FIG. 1, video cameras C1 and C2 for checking the left and right fields of view are installed at the left and right positions of the front 3 of the automobile 1 protruding forward from the driver's seat 2 in the automobile 1, as shown in FIGS. In addition, the video units V0 (V1, V1) are arranged at the inner sides 4A, 4B of the left and right triangular windows 4 or the left and right positions 5A, 5B of the dashboard 5 as viewed from the driver's seat 2. The video signals e1 and e2 from the respective video cameras C1 and C2 are processed by the central processing unit 12 through the input unit 11 of the video processing unit 10, and the left and right video signals E1 and E2 are processed by the left and right video portions V0 (V1, V1), as shown in FIGS. In addition, 6 is a windshield.

Further, the mirror device 100A, which is an advanced version of the conventional mirror device, has image cameras C1 and C2 at the left and right positions of the front 3 of the automobile 1 in FIG. Infrared sensors S1, S2 and ultrasonic sensors S3, S4 are installed respectively. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the central processing unit 12 in the image processing unit 10, which receives sensing signals A1 and A2 from the infrared sensors S1 and S2 and the ultrasonic sensors S3 and S4, outputs the sensing signals A1 to the driving unit 20. , A2, and the warning sound A is emitted from here.

According to the mirror devices 100 and 100A of the first and advanced embodiments, which are the conventional basic configuration , in FIG. Video cameras C1 and C2 for confirming the field of vision, infrared sensors S1 and S2 for detecting approaching objects at night, ultrasonic sensors S3 and S4, etc. are installed respectively, and in FIGS. Since the video units V0 (V1, V1) are arranged inside the window 4 or at the left and right positions 5A, 5B of the dashboard 5 as shown in FIG. Of course, the X2 has the action and effect of reliably recognizing approaching objects regardless of day or night. In particular, at nighttime, the infrared sensors S1, S2 and the ultrasonic sensors S3, S4 can sense approaching objects that cannot be sensed by the naked eye.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 , the mirror device 200, which is the basic configuration of the present invention, is provided at each position of the left and right doors D1 and D2 excluding the door mirrors M1 and M2, or at the left and right positions of the front 3 of the automobile 1. Cameras C3 and C4 are arranged, and video signals e3 and e4 from the rear monitoring camera are sent from the central processing unit 12 in the video processing unit 10 to the inside of the left and right triangular windows 4 as seen from the driver's seat. Alternatively, the image is output to the video unit V0 (V2, V2) provided on the dashboard 5, and the rear view fields X3, X4 are projected from the vicinity of the left and right doors D1, D2.

According to the mirror device 200, there is an effect that the rear view of the left and right doors can be visually recognized while maintaining a correct driving posture in which the line of sight staring forward is directed slightly to the side. As a result, it is possible to prevent accidents due to carelessness in the front, and the rear view of the left and right doors can be clearly observed, which contributes to safer driving than the current door mirrors D1 and D2.

2, the mirror device 300 is provided with an operation switch S at the position of the steering wheel H on the driver's seat 2 for operating a video camera, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and the like for detecting an approaching object at night. As a result, when the switch is operated S, the left and right front views of the automobile are displayed on the image portion V0, and the approaching object alarm A is issued, so that the danger can be sensed audibly.

As shown in FIG. 4, the fourth mirror device 400, which is the basic configuration of the present invention, projects the front left and right visual fields X1 and X2 of the automobile on the image portion V0 (V1 and V1) in each of the mirror devices described above , and detects approaching objects. At the same time when the alarm A is issued, the drive unit K activates the automatic brake B, so that the vehicle automatically stops when dangerous objects approach the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle, thereby preventing traffic accidents.

As shown in addition to FIG. 5 , the mirror device 500 of the present invention includes driver line-of-sight sensors IS1, IS2, IS3, and IS4 in the left and right image portions V0 (V1, V2) of the mirror devices 100 to 400 . The detection processing unit 30 detects the positions of sensors for detecting the line of sight from the eyes of the driver. Information sensed by the detection processing unit 30 is sent to the central processing unit (computer CPU) 12 in the image processing unit 10, and arithmetically processed and specified in the sensed image unit V0 (V1 or V2). The appearance is displayed in one of the left and right video portions V0 (V1, V1) by the video signals E1 and E2. Thus, images are blocked when unnecessary for driving, and left and right visual fields X1 and X2 of the front 3 of the automobile 1 and rear visual fields X3 and X4 of the left and right doors D1 and D2 are displayed at moments necessary for safe driving. Of course, the central processing unit (computer CPU) 12 in the video processing unit 10 may be provided with the function of the detection processing unit 30 .
This has the effect of blocking the image when not needed for driving, and making it possible to visually recognize the left and right visual fields X1 and X2 of the front 3 of the automobile and the rear visual fields X3 and X4 of the left and right doors D1 and D2 at the moment when it is necessary for safe driving. .

In the mirror device 600 of the present invention , as shown in FIG. 6B, in the mirror device 500, the image section V0 (V1, V2) receives a command from the central processing section (computer CPU) 12 in the image processing section 10. The appearance shown in is configured to display a range of approximately 90° from the left and right front visual fields X1 and X2 of the vehicle to the left and right rear visual fields X3 and X4 of the vehicle. As a result, a wide range from the front left and right visual fields X1 and X2 of the automobile to the left and right rearward visual fields X3 and X4 of the automobile 1 is projected on the left and right image portions V0 and V0, respectively, thereby providing a wider visual field and contributing to safe driving. can.

In the further mirror device 700 of the present invention , as shown in FIG. 6(a), the left and right image portions V0 (V1, V2) are projected by a command from the central processing portion (computer CPU) 12 in the image processing portion 10. As for the appearance, as shown in FIG. 5, when line-of-sight sensors IS1 and IS2 provided in the upper image section V1 in the image section V0 detect the line of sight from the driver's eyes, the left and right visual fields X1 and X2 of the front 3 are detected. When line-of-sight sensors IS3 and IS4 provided in the lower part of the video parts V0 and V0 sense the line of sight from the eyes of the driver, the rear visual fields X3 and X4 of the left and right doors D1 and D2 are projected. As a result, the image corresponding to the situation desired to be viewed can be displayed on the left and right image portions V0, V0 in a large size, contributing to safe driving.

As shown in FIG. 4, the mirror device 900 of the embodiment of FIG. 7 includes image cameras C1 and C2 for confirming the left and right fields of view at the left and right positions of the front 3 of the mirror device 100, and the mirror device of the second embodiment. The configuration is such that the images from the rear monitoring cameras C3 and C4 are stored in the memory unit M in the image processing unit 10. FIG. As a result, it is possible to record the driving conditions of the automobile and the external scenery as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, the mirror device 900 is mounted on the left and right of the front 3 of the automobile 1, where the image cameras C1 and C2, the infrared sensors S1 and S2, and the ultrasonic sensors S3 and S4 are installed. Instead of the outside, the left and right outer edges WA, WB of the mounting frame W for mounting the front license plate NP at the foremost position of the automobile, or the left and right positions of the front bumper B0 close to the mounting frame W may be used.

According to the mirror device 900, the front-end left and right landscape pictures X1, X2, etc. of the car, and an infrared sensor that senses approaching objects even in the dark are captured by the front-end license plate NP of the car and video cameras C1, C2, etc. attached near this. S1, S2 and ultrasonic sensors S3, S4 can detect and perceive information on the left and right sides quickly to avoid danger quickly.

As described above, according to the mirror devices 400 to 700 of the present invention, the external appearance projected by the video unit according to the command from the computer displays the range of approximately 90° from the left and right front sights of the automobile to the left and right rear sights of the automobile. A wide range from the front left and right visual fields to the left and right rear visual fields of the automobile is projected in the respective left and right video parts, and a wider field of view can be obtained, contributing to safe driving.

In addition, the left and right image units project the external appearance according to commands from the computer. When the line-of-sight sensor at the bottom detects the line of sight from the driver's eyes, the rear view of the left and right doors is displayed, so only the image corresponding to the situation you want to see is projected on the image section, making driving safer. can contribute to

The mirror devices 100 to 900 of the present invention have been described by limiting their objects to vehicles such as passenger cars, but this function can also be applied to trucks, large vehicles, buses, and trains.

1 Automobile 2 Driver's seat 3 Front 4 Triangular window 5 Dashboard 5A, 5B Left and right position 10 Video processing unit 11 Input unit 12 Central processing unit (computer CPU)
20 drive unit 30 detection processing unit 100-900 mirror device A alarm A1, A2 detection signal B automatic brake mechanism C1-C4 video camera D1, D2 door E1-E4 video signal e1, e2 video signal IS1-IS4 eye sensor K drive unit M memory section S operation switches S1, S2 infrared sensors S3, S4 ultrasonic sensors
V0 (V1, V2) Image part X1, X2 Left and right field of view X3, X4 Left and right rear field of view

Claims (2)

Video cameras are installed on the left and right sides of the front of the car protruding forward from the driver's seat to check the left and right vision, and video units are placed inside the left and right triangular windows or on the left and right sides of the dashboard when viewed from the driver's seat. and a mirror device for an automobile that projects the front left and right fields of view on the image section by the image signal from the image processing section that processes the image signal from each of the image cameras,
Line-of-sight sensors for detecting the driver's line of sight, i.e. pupils, are provided at the upper and lower positions in the left and right imaging units, respectively. A mirror device for an automobile, characterized in that the right and left appearances are displayed on a video unit in response to a monitor command from a computer serving as a video processing unit. In the mirror device for automobiles according to claim 1, the appearance projected by the video processing unit according to a command from the computer is determined by any one of the line-of-sight sensors provided at upper left and right positions in the video unit. When sensing, either the left or right view of the front is displayed, and when any of the line-of-sight sensors provided at the lower left and right positions in the video unit detects the driver's line of sight, the rear view of either the left or right door is displayed. A mirror device for an automobile characterized by:

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