External monitoring device

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved vehicle exterior monitoring device. The vehicle exterior monitoring device (10) comprises a central display device (14), a left display device (16) and a right display device (15) as a plurality of display devices for respectively displaying display images based on images captured by a plurality of camera devices (11 to 13) capturing the rear center of a vehicle (1). The central display device (14) is arranged between the right display device (15) and the left display device (16) in a manner having a front-to-rear difference in visual recognition distance with the right display device (15) and the left display device (16). The central display image, which is arranged parallel to the right display image and the left display image and can be visually recognized, is displayed so as to maintain a sense of depth with the right display image and the left display image.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an external monitoring device of a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to check the rear in vehicles such as automobiles, interior mirrors provided in the vehicle cabin, door mirrors provided on the sides of the vehicle body, and the like are used.

[0003] In recent years, cameras have been used in vehicles instead of rearview mirrors such as interior mirrors and door mirrors. The image of the rear of the vehicle captured by the camera is displayed on a display device installed in the vehicle compartment.

[0004] By making the conventional reflector into a monitor, the brightness of the image can be adjusted to make the moving object easier to visually recognize, or anti-glare treatment can be performed to reduce the light of the headlight of the moving object behind. It can be expected that the influence of the external environment of the vehicle can be suppressed and the visibility can be improved.

[0005] In addition, as in Patent Document 1, it is conceivable to combine a plurality of images obtained by capturing the rear of the vehicle into one display image, and to display the rear of the vehicle as a whole in the display image.

[0006] Prior art literature

[0007] Patent Literature

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-257482 Summary of the invention

[0009] Technical issues

[0010] However, if a plurality of images captured from behind the vehicle are combined into one display image as in Patent Document 1, since the display image is flat, it is difficult for passengers to understand the distance from the vehicle to other moving objects captured from behind.

[0011] Furthermore, when the entire rear image of the vehicle is displayed in one display image, it is difficult for the occupant to determine whether the moving object is in the center of the rear of the vehicle or at a position offset to the left or right by simply visually recognizing the image.

[0012] In addition, in order to process the images captured by multiple shooting devices that are separated from each other at the positions of the door mirrors and / or the interior mirrors of the vehicle to generate a display image under the same field of view, it is necessary to further align and synthesize these images based on the shape and / or size of each captured image being transformed in a manner such that it becomes an image under a single field of view. Image processing becomes complicated, and the real-time display performance displayed immediately after shooting is reduced. Moreover, in the generated display image, there is a high possibility that the outline and / or clarity of the image of the moving object captured will be reduced due to these complicated processing and synthesis processes.

[0013] Thus, there is a need to improve the vehicle exterior monitoring device.

[0014] Technical Solution

[0015] The vehicle exterior monitoring device of the present invention comprises: a plurality of photographing devices, including a central photographing device for photographing the center of the rear of the vehicle, a right photographing device for photographing the right side of the rear of the vehicle, and a left photographing device for photographing the left side of the rear of the vehicle; a control unit, which acquires photographed images from the plurality of photographing devices and outputs display images based on the respective photographed images; and a plurality of display devices, which are arranged in parallel in the vehicle compartment so as to be visually recognizable by passengers and respectively display the plurality of display images outputted from the control unit, the plurality of display devices arranged in parallel and visually recognizable comprising: a central display device, which displays images based on the center of the central photographing device; a central display image of a central captured image; a left display device, which is arranged on the left side of the central display device, and displays a left display image based on the left captured image of the left camera device; and a right display device, which is arranged on the right side of the central display device, and displays a right display image based on the right captured image of the right camera device, wherein the central display device is arranged between the right display device and the left display device in a manner having a front-to-rear difference in visual recognition distance with the right display device and the left display device, and the central display image, which is parallel and visually recognizable between the right display image and the left display image, is displayed to maintain a sense of depth with the right display image and the left display image.

[0016] Preferably, the edges of the left display device and the right display device on the side of the central display device may have an outer shape that imitates the contour shapes of the left and right sides of the vehicle body, respectively; the central display device may display the central display image of the rear center of the vehicle while being clamped between the outer shapes of the left display device and the right display device; and the left display device and the right display device may display the left display image and the right display image on the left and right sides of the rear of the vehicle outside the outer shape.

[0017] Preferably, the left display device and the right display device can be arranged in a manner of overlapping with the central display device from the left and right sides, and the left and right edge portions of the central display device can be covered by the right display device and the left display device in a manner of retaining the central portion and being not visually recognizable.

[0018] Preferably, the central display device, the left display device, and the right display device can be configured to be covered by a common panel arranged in the compartment of the vehicle, and the common panel can have a central opening portion corresponding to the central display device, a left opening portion corresponding to the left display device, and a right opening portion corresponding to the right display device, and the portion between the central opening portion and the left opening portion can be formed into a curved shape that imitates the contour shape of the left side surface of the vehicle's body, and the portion between the central opening portion and the right opening portion can be formed into a curved shape that imitates the contour shape of the right side surface of the vehicle's body.

[0019] Preferably, the edges of the display surfaces of the left display device and the right display device on the side of the central display device may have shapes that imitate the contour shapes of the respective side surfaces of the left and right sides of the vehicle body.

[0020] Preferably, the central display device and the left display device, or the central display device and the right display device, may be formed into an outer shape that imitates the shape of the rear portion of the vehicle body that can be visually recognized from the location where the door mirror is set.

[0021] Preferably, the center display device and the left display device, or the center display device and the right display device may be formed into an outer shape that imitates the shape of the rear portion of the vehicle body that is visually recognized when the rear is visually recognized from the vehicle.

[0022] Preferably, the camera for photographing the right rear side of the vehicle and the camera for photographing the left rear side of the vehicle may be arranged at a position on the vehicle body further rearward than a driver's seat.

[0023] Preferably, the central display device may be disposed at a position farther from the inside of the passenger than the right display device and the right display device, with reference to the position of a seat provided in the vehicle compartment for the passenger to sit.

[0024] Technical Effects

[0025] In the present invention, a plurality of display devices for displaying a display image are arranged in parallel in the vehicle compartment and can be visually recognized by passengers. The display image is a display image output from a control unit and based on the images captured by each of the plurality of shooting devices. Moreover, a central display device is arranged between the right display device and the left display device in a manner that a visual difference in visual recognition distance is provided with the right display device and the left display device. By setting such a display mode, the central display image that is arranged in parallel between the right display image and the left display image and can be visually recognized can be arranged in a manner that a front-to-back difference in visual recognition distance is provided with the right display image and the left display image, and can be displayed while maintaining a sense of depth. These multiple images are not displayed flatly as a whole, as in the case where they are processed into a single image, for example. The off-vehicle monitoring device can display the right display image, the left display image, and the central display image as independent images, while maintaining a sense of depth based on the front-to-back difference between these images. The passenger can intuitively recognize in which rearward direction each of the plurality of images displayed in parallel is an image based on the displayed perspective, and can confirm each image.

[0026] Furthermore, if the control unit acquires captured images from a plurality of capturing devices, a display image based on each captured image is output. In each display device, an image based on the image of the corresponding capturing device is displayed. Therefore, a display performance with high real-time performance can be obtained. Moreover, for example, other moving objects at the rear that are captured in a plurality of captured images can be displayed in a plurality of display images in an almost intact state. The image of the displayed moving object can roughly maintain the quality in the captured state. In addition, the passengers can easily grasp the direction of the moving object at the rear relative to the vehicle, for example, based on the difference in display conditions when the same moving object at the rear is captured in all of the plurality of display images and when it is captured in only one display image. The passengers can obtain information equivalent to the existing combination of door mirrors and interior mirrors from the plurality of display images displayed in parallel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 It is an explanatory diagram of a driving condition of an example of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle exterior monitoring device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 is Figure 1 An illustration of an exterior monitoring device installed in a car.

[0029] Figure 3 About Figure 2 An illustration of the configuration of multiple display devices in a vehicle cabin.

[0030] Figure 4It is an explanatory diagram of a plurality of display devices arranged in an overlapping manner in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 About Figure 4 An illustration of the front and rear configuration of multiple display devices and the visual recognition status of passengers.

[0032] Figure 6 It is an explanatory diagram of a plurality of display devices arranged in an overlapping manner in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 rear view of car.

[0034] Figure 8 It is an explanatory diagram of a plurality of display devices arranged in an overlapping manner according to a modification example of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Fig. 9 It is an explanatory diagram of a plurality of display devices arranged in an overlapping manner and a common panel in a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Explanation of symbols

[0037] 1…car (vehicle), 2…body, 3…compartment, 6…seat, 10…exterior monitoring device, 11…center rear camera, 12…right rear camera, 13…left rear camera, 14…center monitor, 15…right monitor, 16…left monitor, 18…monitor ECU, 24…right edge, 25…left edge, 40…common panel, 42…recess, 43…center opening, 44…right opening, 45…left opening DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0039] [First embodiment]

[0040] Figure 1 It is an explanatory diagram of a driving condition of an example of a vehicle 1 equipped with the vehicle exterior monitoring device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] exist Figure 1 1 shows a car 1 traveling in the center lane of a three-lane straight lane. Behind the car 1 are other cars 9 traveling in the same lane, other cars 9 traveling in the right lane, and other cars 9 traveling in the left lane.

[0042] Figure 1 The automobile 1 has a vehicle body 2. A vehicle compartment 3 for passengers such as a driver to ride is formed in the central portion of the vehicle body 2.

[0043] Figure 2 is Figure 1 1 is an explanatory diagram of an exterior monitoring device 10 provided in an automobile 1.

[0044] Figure 2 The vehicle exterior monitoring device 10 includes a center rear camera 11, a right rear camera 12, a left rear camera 13, a center monitor 14, a right monitor 15, a left monitor 16, a memory 17, and a monitor ECU 18 connected thereto. It should be noted that at least a portion of the right rear camera 12, the left rear camera 13, the center rear camera 11, the center monitor 14, the right monitor 15, and the left monitor 16 may be connected to the monitor ECU 18 via the vehicle network of the vehicle 1.

[0045] The right rear camera 12 , the left rear camera 13 , and the center rear camera 11 are a plurality of imaging devices that are separated in the left-right direction to capture images at the rear of the automobile 1 .

[0046] For example Figure 1 As shown, the right rear camera 12 and the left rear camera 13 are arranged on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 2 in the automobile 1, for example, at the positions of the door mirrors when left and right door mirrors are provided. The right rear camera 12 and the left rear camera 13 are arranged obliquely toward the rear of the automobile 1. Thus, the right rear camera 12 can capture the range from the right side of the vehicle body 2 to the approximately right lateral direction in the right rear direction of the vehicle body 2. The left rear camera 13 can capture the range from the left side of the vehicle body 2 to the approximately left lateral direction in the left rear direction of the vehicle body 2.

[0047] For example Figure 1 As shown, the center rear camera 11 is set at the center of the rear part of the vehicle compartment 3 of the automobile 1. The center rear camera 11 can be set, for example, directly below the roof of the vehicle body 2. The center rear camera 11 is set toward the rear of the vehicle body 2. Therefore, the center rear camera 11 can capture the rear range centered on the rear of the vehicle body 2 and including the oblique rear direction of the vehicle body 2. The shooting range of the center rear camera 11 can overlap with the shooting range of the right rear camera 12 and the shooting range of the left rear camera 13.

[0048] The memory 17 stores data and programs used by the monitor ECU 18 to perform control.

[0049] The monitor ECU 18 reads and executes the program stored in the memory 17 . Thus, the monitor ECU 18 functions as a control unit of the vehicle exterior monitoring device 10 .

[0050] The monitor ECU 18 acquires the right captured image captured by the right rear camera 12 , the left captured image captured by the left rear camera 13 , and the center captured image captured by the center rear camera 11 .

[0051] The monitor ECU 18 generates a center display image, a right display image, and a left display image using the acquired plurality of captured images. The monitor ECU 18 may cut out a portion of an image in a predetermined cutout range from the captured images and use it as a display image.

[0052] The monitor ECU 18 outputs the generated center display image, right display image, and left display image to the center monitor 14 , the right monitor 15 , and the left monitor 16 , respectively.

[0053] The monitor ECU 18 can acquire captured images from a plurality of imaging devices, and basically directly output a display image based on each captured image.

[0054] The center monitor 14 , the right monitor 15 , and the left monitor 16 are a plurality of display devices that respectively display display images based on images captured by a plurality of capturing devices.

[0055] Figure 3 About Figure 2 An illustration of a basic configuration of multiple display devices in the vehicle compartment 3.

[0056] exist Figure 3 2 shows the front interior of a vehicle compartment 3 of the automobile 1. In the front interior of the vehicle compartment 3, a dashboard 5 is provided below a windshield 4.

[0057] The center monitor 14, the right monitor 15, and the left monitor 16 may be liquid crystal panels respectively embedded in the instrument panel 5 and fixedly installed. The liquid crystal panel basically has a substantially quadrilateral plate shape, and a display surface is formed on one surface thereof. The display surface is a substantially rectangular screen of a single plane for displaying a display image.

[0058] A right monitor 15 is provided on the right side of the center monitor 14. A left monitor 16 is provided on the left side of the center monitor 14. The center monitor 14, the right monitor 15, and the left monitor 16 may be provided on the instrument panel 5 so that their overall positions can be finely adjusted according to, for example, the body shape of the passenger.

[0059] Thus, the passengers in the vehicle compartment 3 can check the front of the vehicle 1 through the windshield 4 and visually recognize the rear of the vehicle 1 through the display images of the plurality of monitors arranged in parallel thereunder.

[0060] In addition, when the central monitor 14, the right monitor 15, and the left monitor 16 are provided in the vehicle compartment 3 and display images based on the images captured by the central rear camera 11, the right rear camera 12, and the left rear camera 13 are displayed on these monitors, the brightness of the image can be adjusted in a manner that makes the moving object easy to visually recognize in the display image, or anti-glare treatment can be performed in a manner that the light of the headlight of the moving object behind is weakened in the display image. Compared with the conventional rearview mirrors such as the interior mirror and / or the door mirror, the image is easy to visually recognize through such monitoring. It can be expected that the influence of the environment outside the vehicle can be suppressed and the visual recognition of the rear can be improved.

[0061] However, if only the captured images behind the car 1 are displayed side by side on multiple monitors, the multiple images are displayed side by side in a planar manner, and the passengers cannot judge the distance and / or direction of other moving objects behind the car relative to the car by visually recognizing these images.

[0062] Especially, for existing interior mirrors and door mirrors, the passengers switch their sight to the installation position of each reflector and confirm the image of each reflector. In this case, the passengers can easily judge the direction of the moving object reflected in the rear relative to the vehicle based on the recognition of the visually recognized reflector.

[0063] Therefore, further improvement of the vehicle exterior monitoring device 10 is sought.

[0064] Figure 4 It is an explanatory diagram of a plurality of display devices arranged in an overlapping manner in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 4 This is a layout diagram of a center monitor 14, a right monitor 15, and a left monitor 16 as a plurality of display devices viewed from a seat where a passenger is seated.

[0066] Figure 5 About Figure 4 An illustration of the front and rear configuration of multiple display devices and the visual recognition status of passengers. Figure 5 This is a diagram of the cabin 3 of the automobile 1 as viewed from above.

[0067] exist Figure 5 Also shown in the figure are seats 6 provided in the compartment 3 of the automobile 1 for passengers to sit on.

[0068] And, if Figure 5As shown, a central monitor 14, a right monitor 15, and a left monitor 16 are embedded in parallel in the instrument panel 5 in front of the seat 6. The central monitor 14, the right monitor 15, and the left monitor 16 are arranged in parallel in the instrument panel 5 so that the entirety of the central monitor 14, the right monitor 15, and the left monitor 16 are included in the forward field of vision of the passenger seated in the seat 6.

[0069] The right monitor 15 and the left monitor 16 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction of the automobile 1 at a distance narrower than the width of the display surface 21 of the central monitor 14. The central monitor 14 is arranged on the front side of the automobile 1 between the right monitor 15 and the left monitor 16. The central monitor 14 is arranged farther from the seat 6 than the right monitor 15 and the left monitor 16. The display surface 21 of the central monitor 14 is arranged at a position farther from the inside of the passenger than the display surface 22 of the right monitor 15 and the display surface 23 of the left monitor 16, based on the position of the seat 6 provided in the interior 3 of the automobile 1 for the passenger to sit.

[0070] Thus, in the field of vision of the passenger sitting in the seat 6, the display surface 21 of the central monitor 14 is arranged at an inner position away from the passenger, between the display surface 22 of the right monitor 15 and the display surface 23 of the left monitor 16, in a manner that there is a front-to-rear difference in visual recognition distance between the display surface 22 of the right monitor 15 and the display surface 23 of the left monitor 16.

[0071] The center display image of the center monitor 14 , which is visually visible in parallel between the right display image of the right monitor 15 and the left display image of the left monitor 16 , is displayed so as to maintain a sense of depth with the right display image and the left display image.

[0072] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown, the left edge 25 of the right monitor 15 having a substantially rectangular shape on the side of the center monitor 14 overlaps the right edge 24 of the substantially rectangular display surface 21 of the center monitor 14 having a substantially rectangular shape.

[0073] The right edge portion 24 of the left monitor 16 having a substantially rectangular outer shape on the side of the center monitor 14 overlaps with the left edge portion 25 of the substantially rectangular display surface 21 of the center monitor 14 having a substantially rectangular outer shape.

[0074] As a result, both left and right edge portions of the substantially rectangular display surface 21 of the center monitor 14 are covered by the right monitor 15 and the left monitor 16 so that the center portion thereof remains invisible.

[0075] As described above, in this embodiment, a plurality of display devices for displaying display images are arranged in parallel in the vehicle compartment 3 of the automobile 1 and can be visually recognized by the passengers. The display images are display images output from the control unit and based on the images captured by each of the plurality of camera devices. In addition, the display surface 21 of the central monitor 14 is arranged between the display surface 22 of the right monitor 15 and the display surface 23 of the left monitor 16 in a manner that has a front-to-back difference in visual recognition distance with the display surface 22 of the right monitor 15 and the display surface 23 of the left monitor 16. By adopting such a display method, the central display image that is arranged in parallel and can be visually recognized between the right display image and the left display image can be displayed with a front-to-back difference in visual recognition distance with the right display image and the left display image and with a sense of depth maintained. These multiple images are not displayed flatly as a whole, as in the case where they are processed into a single image, for example. The vehicle exterior monitoring device 10 can display the right display image, the left display image, and the central display image as independent images, respectively, and can display these images with a sense of depth maintained based on the front-to-back difference. The passenger can intuitively recognize in which rearward direction each of the plurality of images displayed in parallel is an image based on the displayed perspective, and can confirm each image.

[0076] Furthermore, if the control unit acquires captured images from a plurality of capturing devices, display images based on the captured images are output almost directly. In each display device, an image based on the image of the corresponding capturing device is displayed. Therefore, a display performance with high real-time performance can be obtained. Moreover, for example, other moving objects at the rear that are captured in a plurality of captured images can be displayed in a plurality of display images in an almost intact state. The image of the displayed moving object can roughly maintain the quality in the captured state. In addition, the passengers can easily grasp the direction of the moving object at the rear relative to the vehicle, for example, based on the difference in display conditions when the same moving object at the rear is captured in all of the plurality of display images and when it is captured in only one display image. The passengers can obtain information equivalent to the existing combination of door mirrors and interior mirrors from the plurality of display images displayed in parallel.

[0077] In the present embodiment, the left monitor 16 and the right monitor 15 are provided so as to overlap the display surface 21 of the central monitor 14 from both the left and right sides. The left and right edges of the display surface 21 of the central monitor 14 are covered by the right monitor 15 and the left monitor 16 so as to leave the central portion and not be visually recognized. Thus, the central monitor 14 can be formed into a quadrilateral display surface 21 like a normal monitor. The monitor ECU 18 as a control unit does not need to deform the outline of the image in the process of generating the central display image from the central captured image.

[0078] [Second embodiment]

[0079] Next, a vehicle exterior monitoring device 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, differences from the above embodiment will be mainly described. The same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the above embodiment, and their description will be omitted.

[0080] Figure 6 It is an explanatory diagram of a plurality of display devices arranged in an overlapping manner in the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] The left edge 25 of the right monitor 15 on the side of the center monitor 14 is formed in a gradually curved shape in such a manner that the upper end thereof projects to the left relative to the lower end. The display surface 22 of the right monitor 15 is also formed in a gradually curved shape along the left edge 25 in such a manner that the upper end of the left edge projects to the left relative to the lower end. In this case, the monitor ECU 18 only needs to generate a right display image obtained by cutting off a portion corresponding to the left edge 25 of the right captured image in the same shape, and output it to the right monitor 15. The right captured image is obtained from the right rear camera 12.

[0082] In addition, the right edge portion 24 of the left monitor 16 on the side of the center monitor 14 is formed in a gradually curved shape in such a manner that the upper end thereof projects to the right relative to the lower end. The display surface 23 of the left monitor 16 is also formed in a gradually curved shape along the right edge portion 24 in such a manner that the upper end of the right edge projects to the right relative to the lower end. In this case, the monitor ECU 18 only needs to generate a left display image obtained by cutting off a portion corresponding to the right edge portion 24 of the left captured image acquired from the left rear camera 13 in the same shape, and output it to the left monitor 16.

[0083] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 The rear view of the car 1. The rear of the car 1 can be visually recognized through the door mirrors when the left and right door mirrors are provided.

[0084] Figure 7 The right side surface of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 is formed in a gradually curved shape such that the upper portion thereof is inclined toward the left side and the lower portion thereof is substantially vertical. Figure 6 The left edge portion 25 of the right monitor 15 is formed into an outer shape that imitates the contour shape of the right side surface of the vehicle body 2 and is formed within a range A that can be visually recognized from the installation position of the door mirror.

[0085] The left side surface of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 is formed in a gradually curved shape such that the upper portion thereof is inclined to the right and the lower portion thereof is substantially vertical. Figure 6The right edge portion 24 of the left monitor 16 is formed into an outer shape that imitates the contour shape of the left side surface of the vehicle body 2 and is formed within a range B that can be visually recognized from the installation position of the door mirror.

[0086] Thus, an outer shape imitating the shape of the rear part of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 that can be visually recognized from the installation position of the door mirror, for example, is formed between the center display image and the left display image, or between the center display image and the right display image.

[0087] The center monitor 14 displays a center display image at the rear center of the automobile 1 at a position further inside than the right monitor 15 and the left monitor 16 while being sandwiched between the left and right outer shapes of the vehicle body 2 by the right monitor 15 and the left monitor 16. The center display image is displayed on the display surface 21 of the center monitor 14 in a manner such that the left and right edges thereof are visually recognized within a frame of a shape imitating the contour shape of the left and right side surfaces of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1.

[0088] The left monitor 16 displays a left display image of the rear left side of the automobile 1 on the left side of the outer shape of the left side of the vehicle body 2. The left display image is displayed on a display surface 23 of the left monitor 16 that is shaped to imitate the outline shape of the left side of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1.

[0089] The right monitor 15 displays a right display image of the rear right side of the automobile 1 on the right side of the outer shape of the right side of the vehicle body 2. The right display image is displayed on the display surface 22 of the right monitor 15 that is shaped to imitate the outline shape of the right side of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1.

[0090] As described above, in the present embodiment, the side surfaces of the left monitor 16 and the right monitor 15 on the side of the central monitor 14 have outer shapes that imitate the contour shapes of the left and right side surfaces of the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1 that can be visually recognized, for example, by the door mirror. Thus, the central monitor 14 can display the central display image of the rear center of the vehicle 1 on the inner side between the outer shapes of the left monitor 16 and the right monitor 15 while being sandwiched by these outer shapes. In addition, the left monitor 16 and the right monitor 15 can display the right display image and the left display image of the rear left and right sides of the vehicle 1 on the outer side of these outer shapes that imitate the two side surfaces of the vehicle body 2 in a manner that has a front-rear difference with the central display image.

[0091] In the present embodiment, the side surfaces of the display surface 23 of the left monitor 16 and the display surface 22 of the right monitor 15 on the side of the central monitor 14 also have shapes that imitate the contour shapes of the left and right sides of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 that can be visually recognized, for example, by the door mirror. Thus, the left monitor 16 and the right monitor 15 that are provided on the left and right sides of the central monitor 14 can be arranged close to the central monitor 14. As a result, the width of the right edge portion 24 of the outer shape that imitates the contour shape of the left side of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 between the left monitor 16 and the central monitor 14 can be narrowed. The width of the left edge portion 25 of the outer shape that imitates the contour shape of the right side of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 between the right monitor 15 and the central monitor 14 can be narrowed. By narrowing these portions between the images, the left monitor 16 and the right monitor 15, together with the central monitor 14, can optimize the continuity of the overall image of the rear of the automobile 1 and can display the rear with a sense of unity. The left display image and the right display image are unlikely to give the impression of being separated from the center display image.

[0092] Figure 8 It is an explanatory diagram of a plurality of display devices arranged in an overlapping manner according to a modification of the second embodiment.

[0093] exist Figure 8 In the example, the right edge portion 24 of the left monitor 16 is formed to imitate Figure 7 The outer shape of the left side surface of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 is formed in a range B when viewed from the seat 6 of the vehicle compartment 3 to the rear.

[0094] The left edge portion 25 of the right monitor 15 is formed to imitate Figure 7 The outline shape of the side surface of the right side of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 is an outer shape formed in a range A when viewed from the seat 6 of the vehicle compartment 3 to the rear.

[0095] Thus, the center monitor 14 can display the center display image of the rear center of the automobile 1 on the inner side between the outer shapes of the left monitor 16 and the right monitor 15 in a state sandwiched by these shapes. In addition, the left monitor 16 and the right monitor 15 can display the right display image and the left display image of the rear left and right sides of the automobile 1 on the outer side of these outer shapes imitating the two side surfaces of the vehicle body 2 in a manner with a front-rear difference from the center display image.

[0096] The center display image and its left and right right display images can be displayed as the entire image of the rear of the vehicle on the same layout as when the rear is visually recognized from the seat 6 of the cabin 3 of the automobile 1.

[0097] [Third Embodiment]

[0098] Next, a vehicle exterior monitoring device 10 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, differences from the above embodiment will be mainly described. The same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the above embodiment, and their description will be omitted.

[0099] Fig. 9 It is an explanatory diagram of a plurality of display devices arranged in an overlapping manner and a common panel 40 in a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0100] like Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 2 (A), a common panel 40 is detachably provided on an instrument panel 5 provided in a vehicle cabin 3 of a vehicle 1 .

[0101] The center monitor 14, the right monitor 15, and the left monitor 16 are arranged side by side inside the common panel 40. The center monitor 14 is arranged away from the right monitor 15 and the left monitor 16 with a large front-rear difference.

[0102] like Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 2 (B), the common panel 40 has a substantially rectangular horizontal plane portion 41 constituting the substantially entire portion thereof, and a recessed portion 42 formed in the center of the horizontal plane portion 41 .

[0103] The recessed portion 42 has a central opening 43 formed therein.

[0104] A right opening 44 is formed in the right side portion of the recess 42 of the lateral flat surface portion 41 .

[0105] A left opening 45 is formed in a left portion of the recess 42 of the lateral flat surface portion 41 .

[0106] Furthermore, a portion 46 of the common panel 40 between the central opening 43 and the left opening 45 is formed in a curved shape following the contour shape of the left side surface of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 .

[0107] A portion 47 of the common panel 40 between the central opening 43 and the right opening 44 is formed in a curved shape following the contour shape of the right side surface of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 .

[0108] With respect to the common panel 40 having such a concave-convex shape, Fig. 9 As shown in FIG. 1 (C), the display surface 21 of the central monitor 14 overlaps with the central opening 43 .

[0109] The display surface 22 of the right monitor 15 overlaps with the right opening 44 .

[0110] The display surface 23 of the left monitor 16 overlaps with the left opening 45 .

[0111] As described above, in this embodiment, the center monitor 14, the left monitor 16, and the right monitor 15 are covered by the common panel 40 provided in the vehicle compartment 3 of the automobile 1, and are provided so as to overlap with the center opening 43, the left opening 45, and the right opening 44 formed in parallel in the common panel 40. In addition, in the common panel 40, the portion 46 between the center opening 43 and the left opening 45 is formed in a curved surface shape imitating the contour shape of the left side surface of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1. In addition, the portion 47 between the center opening 43 and the right opening 44 is formed in a curved surface shape imitating the contour shape of the right side surface of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1.

[0112] Thus, the left opening 45 and the right opening 44 are formed in the plane portion 41 of the common panel 40, and the central opening 43 is formed in the recessed portion 42 of the common panel 40. The central monitor 14 can display the central display image of the rear center of the automobile 1 inside the recessed portion 42 of the common panel 40. In addition, the left monitor 16 and the right monitor 15 can display the right display image and the left display image of the rear left and right sides of the automobile 1 on the plane portion 41 of the surface of the common panel 40 with a front-rear difference from the central display image.

[0113] In the above embodiment, the common panel 40 covering the center monitor 14, the left monitor 16, and the right monitor 15 is formed integrally. Alternatively, for example, the common panel 40 may be divided into three parts in the left and right directions so as to be detachable for each monitor.

[0114] The above-described embodiments are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0115] In the above-described embodiment, the right rear camera 12 and the left rear camera 13 are provided at the positions of the left and right door mirrors in the case where the left and right door mirrors are provided.

[0116] In addition, for example, the right rear camera 12 and the left rear camera 13 may be provided on the rear surface of the vehicle body 2. The right rear camera 12 may be provided on the rear surface of the vehicle body 2. Figure 7 The left rear camera 13 may be located at the rear surface of the vehicle body 2, and may be located at the upper right position 33 at the height of the vehicle roof, or at the central position 34 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body 2. Figure 7 The rear surface of the vehicle body 2 may be set at the upper left position 35 at the height of the roof, or at the central position 36 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body 2. Similarly, the mid-rear camera 11 may be set at, for example, Figure 7 The rear surface of the vehicle body 2 may be provided at a central position 31 at the height of the roof or at a central position 32 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body 2. The center rear camera 11 may be provided at the Y0 position which is substantially the center of the vehicle body 2 in the horizontal direction.

[0117] By providing a plurality of camera devices on the rear surface of the vehicle body 2 in this manner, the vehicle body 2 is not reflected in the captured image. The captured image is an image captured when the rear of the vehicle is not blocked by the vehicle body 2, and can be appropriately used for purposes other than monitor display, such as detecting the presence of a moving object behind the vehicle, the direction of the moving object, and the distance of the moving object. The direction and distance of the moving object behind the vehicle can be calculated by performing triangulation operations based on the respective shooting positions for the moving object reflected in the captured images of the right rear camera 12 and the captured images of the left rear camera 13. In this case, the right rear camera 12 and the left rear camera 13 can function as a stereo camera.

Claims

1. A vehicle exterior monitoring device, characterized in that: have: A plurality of photographing devices, including a central photographing device for photographing the center of the rear of a vehicle, a right photographing device for photographing the right side of the rear of the vehicle, and a left photographing device for photographing the left side of the rear of the vehicle; a control unit that acquires captured images from the plurality of capturing devices and outputs a display image based on each captured image; and a plurality of display devices arranged in parallel in the vehicle compartment so as to be visually recognized by passengers, and respectively displaying the plurality of display images output from the control unit, The plurality of display devices arranged in parallel and capable of being visually identified include: a central display device that displays a central display image based on a central captured image of the central capturing device; a left display device, which is disposed on the left side of the central display device and displays a left display image based on a left captured image of the left capturing device; and a right display device, which is arranged on the right side of the central display device and displays a right display image based on the right captured image of the right capturing device, The central display device is disposed between the right display device and the left display device in a manner that there is a front-to-rear difference in visual recognition distance between the central display device and the right display device and the left display device. The central display image, which is arranged between the right display image and the left display image and can be visually recognized, is displayed to maintain a sense of depth with the right display image and the left display image. The edges of the left display device and the right display device on the side of the central display device have an outer shape that imitates the contour shapes of the side surfaces of the left and right sides of the vehicle body, respectively. The central display device displays the central display image of the rear center of the vehicle in a state of being sandwiched between the outer shapes of the left display device and the right display device, The left display device and the right display device display the left display image and the right display image on the left and right sides of the rear of the vehicle outside the outer shape.

2. A vehicle exterior monitoring device, characterized in that: have: A plurality of photographing devices, including a central photographing device for photographing the center of the rear of a vehicle, a right photographing device for photographing the right side of the rear of the vehicle, and a left photographing device for photographing the left side of the rear of the vehicle; a control unit that acquires captured images from the plurality of capturing devices and outputs a display image based on each captured image; and a plurality of display devices arranged in parallel in the vehicle compartment so as to be visually recognized by passengers, and respectively displaying the plurality of display images output from the control unit, The plurality of display devices arranged in parallel and capable of being visually identified include: a central display device that displays a central display image based on a central captured image of the central capturing device; a left display device, which is disposed on the left side of the central display device and displays a left display image based on a left captured image of the left capturing device; and a right display device, which is arranged on the right side of the central display device and displays a right display image based on the right captured image of the right capturing device, The central display device is disposed between the right display device and the left display device in a manner that there is a front-to-rear difference in visual recognition distance between the central display device and the right display device and the left display device. The central display image, which is arranged between the right display image and the left display image and can be visually recognized, is displayed to maintain a sense of depth with the right display image and the left display image. The left display device and the right display device are arranged in a manner overlapping with the central display device from both left and right sides, The left and right edge portions of the central display device are covered by the right display device and the left display device in a manner that the central portion is retained and cannot be visually identified.

3. An off-vehicle monitoring device, characterized in that: have: A plurality of photographing devices, including a central photographing device for photographing the center of the rear of a vehicle, a right photographing device for photographing the right side of the rear of the vehicle, and a left photographing device for photographing the left side of the rear of the vehicle; a control unit that acquires captured images from the plurality of capturing devices and outputs a display image based on each captured image; and a plurality of display devices arranged in parallel in the vehicle compartment so as to be visually recognized by passengers, and respectively displaying the plurality of display images output from the control unit, The plurality of display devices arranged in parallel and capable of being visually identified include: a central display device that displays a central display image based on a central captured image of the central capturing device; a left display device, which is disposed on the left side of the central display device and displays a left display image based on a left captured image of the left capturing device; and a right display device, which is arranged on the right side of the central display device and displays a right display image based on the right captured image of the right capturing device, The central display device is disposed between the right display device and the left display device in a manner that there is a front-to-rear difference in visual recognition distance between the central display device and the right display device and the left display device. The central display image, which is arranged between the right display image and the left display image and can be visually recognized, is displayed to maintain a sense of depth with the right display image and the left display image. The central display device, the left display device, and the right display device are arranged to be covered by a common panel provided in a compartment of the vehicle, The common panel has a central opening portion corresponding to the central display device, a left opening portion corresponding to the left display device, and a right opening portion corresponding to the right display device, The portion between the central opening and the left opening is formed into a curved shape imitating the contour shape of the left side surface of the vehicle body. A portion between the central opening and the right opening is formed in a curved shape following the contour shape of the right side surface of the vehicle body.

4. The vehicle exterior monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The edges of the display surface of the left display device and the display surface of the right display device on the side of the central display device have shapes that imitate the contour shapes of the side surfaces of the left and right sides of the vehicle body, respectively.

5. The vehicle exterior monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The portion between the central display device and the left display device or between the central display device and the right display device is formed into an outer shape imitating the shape of the rear portion of the vehicle body that can be visually recognized from the location where the door mirror is installed.

6. The vehicle exterior monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The portion between the center display device and the left display device or between the center display device and the right display device is formed into an outer shape imitating the shape of the rear portion of the vehicle body that is visually recognized when the rear is visually recognized from the vehicle.

7. The vehicle exterior monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The camera for photographing the right rear side of the vehicle and the camera for photographing the left rear side of the vehicle are provided at a position on the vehicle body further rearward than a driver's seat.

8. The vehicle exterior monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The center display device is disposed at a position farther from the inside of the passenger than the right display device and the right display device, with reference to the position of a seat provided in the vehicle compartment for the passenger to sit.

Images