Camera monitoring system and control method thereof

Abstract

A camera monitoring system and a control method thereof are provided. The camera monitoring system includes a camera assembly that captures images of the exterior surface of a vehicle; and a mirror assembly that is configured to overlap at least a portion of the camera assembly. A system driver deploys and retracts the camera assembly and the mirror assembly. A controller operates the system driver in response to inputs for deploying or retracting the camera assembly and the mirror assembly and determines a camera assembly fault. The camera assembly and the mirror assembly move along a single drive shaft, and the controller deploys and retracts the camera assembly and the mirror assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a camera monitoring system and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a camera monitoring system and a control method thereof, which is capable of operating a camera assembly and a mirror assembly simultaneously or sequentially through a single system driver and providing auxiliary side vision in response to a malfunction of the camera monitoring system. Background Art

[0002] Typically, a driver uses a rearview mirror and a mirror mounted at the front center of the vehicle to change lanes. Specifically, when a driver changes lanes while looking at the rearview mirror along the direction of travel, an accident may occur with a vehicle traveling in the blind spot or a vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle.

[0003] Furthermore, when the vehicle is parked or stopped, the existing rearview mirror is folded in a state of protruding to the outside, and therefore, the existing rearview mirror may be damaged due to physical impact applied to the rearview mirror. Recently, a camera mirror system (CMS) configured to display the external situation of the vehicle on a screen through an external camera lens is being developed.

[0004] As described above, a vehicle incorporating a CMS is configured to capture external conditions of the vehicle through an external camera protruding outward from the vehicle and display the image captured by the external camera on a display mounted in the vehicle. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an exterior camera pivoted to protrude from an exterior surface of a vehicle according to the related art.

[0005] As shown, the exterior camera includes an exterior camera 20 positioned on one side of a vehicle door 11 and includes a first lens 30 and a second lens 31. The exterior camera is configured to pivot within the vehicle door 11. However, even when the exterior camera is inserted into the vehicle door 11, the exterior camera, configured to protrude from the vehicle door 11, remains exposed, posing a risk of damage and theft. Furthermore, in the event of a malfunction in the camera monitoring system, a component for providing additional lateral vision is indispensable. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present disclosure provides a camera monitoring system located on the exterior surface of a vehicle and a structure capable of protecting the camera from the external environment. In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a camera assembly and a mirror assembly that can be deployed using a single drive shaft. In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a structure capable of providing a user with a side view in the event of a camera assembly failure.

[0007] The objectives of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned objectives, and other objectives of the present disclosure not mentioned herein can be understood through the following description. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure not mentioned herein will be clearly understood through the embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the objectives of the present disclosure can be achieved through the devices described in the appended claims and their combinations. A camera monitoring system and control method thereof for achieving the above-mentioned objectives of the present disclosure include the following configurations.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure provides a camera monitoring system that may include: a camera assembly configured to capture an image of an exterior surface of a vehicle; a mirror assembly configured to overlap at least a portion of the camera assembly; a system driver configured to deploy and fold the camera assembly and the mirror assembly; and a controller configured to operate the system driver in response to an input to deploy or fold the camera assembly and the mirror assembly and to determine a malfunction of the camera assembly. The camera assembly and the mirror assembly move based on a single drive shaft, and the controller may be configured to deploy or fold the camera assembly and the mirror assembly.

[0009] In addition, the camera assembly may include: a camera housing configured to engage with a vehicle body; a camera disposed in the camera housing and configured to capture images of the outer surface of the vehicle; a camera driver configured to pivot the camera housing through the camera driver; a camera drive gear disposed at at least a portion of an interior of the camera driver and configured to transmit a driving force of the camera driver; and a display disposed inside the vehicle and configured to display images captured by the camera.

[0010] Furthermore, the mirror assembly may include: a mirror housing configured to allow the camera assembly to be inserted therein; a mirror driver configured to pivot the mirror housing via the mirror driver; and a mirror drive gear disposed at least partially within the mirror driver and configured to allow the mirror housing to pivot and deploy after the camera assembly is pivoted and deployed. Furthermore, the system driver may include: a motor disposed within the vehicle body; and a system drive gear disposed at one end of the motor and located between the camera driver and the mirror driver.

[0011] When the camera assembly is deployed, the system drive gear may be engaged with the camera drive gear, and when the mirror assembly is deployed, the system drive gear may selectively be engaged with the mirror drive gear. In addition, the radius of the camera drive may be greater than the radius of the mirror drive, and the system drive gear may be disposed between the mirror drive and the camera drive.

[0012] The camera monitoring system may further include a boss portion spaced apart from the camera drive gear and disposed within the camera driver, wherein the boss portion may be configured to cause the mirror drive gear to mesh with the system drive gear after the camera assembly is deployed. When the camera assembly is determined to have failed, the controller may be configured to move the boss portion so that the mirror drive gear and the system drive gear mesh with each other.

[0013] In another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a camera monitoring system, which may include checking the status of a camera assembly and a mirror assembly, determining whether a user request has been input when both the camera assembly and the mirror assembly are determined to be in a folded state, causing the camera assembly to unfold in response to the user request, determining whether the camera assembly has malfunctioned, and causing the mirror assembly to unfold when the camera assembly is determined to have malfunctioned.

[0014] Furthermore, deploying the camera assembly may include rotating a camera drive gear via a system driver disposed in the vehicle body. Deploying the camera assembly may include rotating a mirror drive gear via a system driver disposed in the vehicle body. Furthermore, determining whether the camera assembly has malfunctioned may include outputting an alert to a user when the camera assembly is determined to have malfunctioned. The alert output to the user may include determining whether a user input for mirror deployment is present, and deploying the mirror assembly when the user input for mirror deployment is present. When the camera assembly is determined to have malfunctioned, deploying the mirror assembly may include determining whether the camera assembly is operating normally, and folding the mirror assembly when the camera assembly is operating normally. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The above and other features of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure shown in the accompanying drawings, which are given hereinafter by way of illustration only and thus do not limit the present disclosure, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle including a camera monitoring system according to the prior art;

[0017] Figure 2A is a perspective view showing a camera monitoring system in a folded state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 2B is a perspective view showing a camera monitoring system in which a camera assembly is in a deployed state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 2C is a perspective view showing a camera monitoring system in which a mirror assembly is in a deployed state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 3A is a front view illustrating a camera monitoring system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure wherein the camera assembly is in a deployed state;

[0021] Figure 3B is a perspective view showing a system driver of a camera monitoring system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view showing a system driver in a folded state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view showing a system driver in a state where a camera assembly is deployed according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view showing a system driver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure in a state where a mirror assembly begins to unfold;

[0025] Figure 5B is a cross-sectional view showing a system driver according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure in a state where a mirror assembly is deployed;

[0026] Figure 6A is a cross-sectional view illustrating a system driver in a folded state after deployment of a mirror assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 6B is a cross-sectional view showing a system driver in a folded state after a camera assembly is unfolded according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0028] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control operation of a camera monitoring system according to whether a malfunction occurs in the camera monitoring system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that they present somewhat simplified representations of various features illustrating the basic principles of the present disclosure. As disclosed herein, the specific design features of the present disclosure (including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes) will be determined in part by the specific intended application and use environment. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present disclosure throughout the several views of the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] It should be understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar terms used in this document include a broad range of motor vehicles, such as: passenger cars including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, water vehicles including various ships and boats, aircraft, etc., and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, combustion vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel (for example, fuels produced from resources other than petroleum) vehicles.

[0031] Although the exemplary embodiments are described as using multiple units to perform the exemplary processes, it should be understood that the exemplary processes can also be performed by one or more modules. Furthermore, it should be understood that the term controller / control unit refers to a hardware device that includes a memory and a processor and can be specifically programmed to perform the processes described herein. The memory is configured to store the modules, and the processor is specifically configured to execute the modules to perform one or more processes described further below.

[0032] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. When used in this article, the singular forms "one", "an" and "the" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that, when used in this specification, the terms "include" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of the features, integral bodies, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integral bodies, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups. When used in this article, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more related enumerated items.

[0033] Unless otherwise expressly stated or apparent from the context, as used herein, the term "about" should be understood to mean within the general tolerance in the art, for example, within 2 standard deviations of the mean. "About" can be understood to mean within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the stated value. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, all numerical values provided herein are modified by the term "about."

[0034] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be modified into various forms, and the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the following embodiments. These exemplary embodiments are provided to more fully describe the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. The terms "~part", "~gear", "~assembly" and the like used herein refer to a unit for processing at least one function or operation, and the unit may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0035] The present disclosure relates to a camera monitoring system 100, and more particularly, to a camera monitoring system 100 that is provided on a side surface of a vehicle body 300 and is deployed or folded outward to a position close to the vehicle body 300 based on a user's request. The camera monitoring system 100 is operable by a controller.

[0036] The camera monitoring system 100 of the present disclosure may include a camera housing 115 having a camera 111 and a camera driver 112 configured to pivot the camera housing 115. The camera 111 may be configured to deploy the camera housing 115 upon a user's request to capture an image of the rear side of the vehicle. Thus, the captured rear side image can be transmitted to a display (not shown) installed in the vehicle via the camera monitoring system 100. Thus, even in the absence of the mirror 121, the captured rear side image of the vehicle can be displayed inside the vehicle.

[0037] In the present disclosure, the display can be formed on the inner surface of the vehicle or at a position adjacent to the A-pillar, and can be formed without limitation in the interior of the vehicle as long as it can display the captured rear side image to the user. Specifically, the display of the present disclosure can be set on the inner left and right sides of the vehicle and can include a left camera 111 and a right camera 111 connected to the display.

[0038] The camera monitoring system 100 of the present disclosure is a concept including a left camera and a right camera 111, and the left camera and the right camera 111 can be symmetrically installed on the left and right sides of the vehicle. In addition, the mirror assembly 120 of the present disclosure can overlap at least a portion of the camera assembly 110. In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the camera housing 115 can be inserted into the mirror housing 125 and disposed inside the mirror housing.

[0039] In addition, the controller 200 of the present disclosure may be provided inside the vehicle or in the camera monitoring system 100. The controller 200 may be configured to determine whether a user request is received or whether a malfunction occurs in the camera assembly 110 according to a predetermined condition and to perform deployment or folding of the camera assembly 110 or the mirror assembly 120. The controller 200 may be configured to apply power to the system driver 130 under the predetermined condition to perform deployment or folding of the camera assembly 110 or the mirror assembly 120.

[0040] Figures 2A to 2C The camera monitoring system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is sequentially shown in a folded state, a state in which the camera assembly 110 is unfolded, and a state in which the mirror assembly 120 is unfolded. Figure 2A The camera monitoring system 100 is shown disposed in a vehicle body 300 and discloses a configuration in which a camera assembly 110 and a mirror assembly 120 are disposed adjacent to each other.

[0041] More specifically, the camera assembly 110 may be inserted into and disposed at one side end of the mirror assembly 120, and a first end of the camera assembly 110 may be pivoted and deployed in a direction away from the vehicle body 300 according to a motor drive of the system driver 130. A camera 111 configured to capture a side image of the vehicle may be disposed at a second end of the camera assembly 110, and a camera driver 112 configured to pivot a camera housing 115 may be disposed at the first end of the camera assembly 110.

[0042] The camera monitoring system 100 may include a mirror assembly 120 that is adjacent to the camera assembly 110 and is pivotable about the same rotation axis as the camera assembly 110. The mirror assembly 120 may include a mirror housing 125, a mirror 121 disposed at a distal end of the mirror housing 125, and a mirror driver 122 having the same drive axis as the camera driver 112 and disposed within the camera driver 112.

[0043] The camera driver 112 and the mirror driver 122 may be installed about the same axis and may include a camera drive gear 113 and a mirror drive gear 123 disposed adjacent to a system drive gear 131 of the system driver 130. Specifically, the camera drive gear 113 and the mirror drive gear 123 may be configured to rotate along the same central axis, and the system drive gear 131 of the system driver 130 may be disposed between the camera drive gear 113 and the mirror drive gear 123. The system drive gear 131 may be configured to receive a rotational force from a motor disposed in the vehicle body 300 or the system driver 130, and may include the camera drive gear 113 disposed inside the camera driver 112 so as to correspond to the system drive gear 131.

[0044] The camera driving gear 113 may be provided inside the camera driver 112 and may be formed in at least a portion of the camera driver 112 and configured to apply the rotational force of the motor by engaging with the system driving gear 131. In addition, the camera driving gear 113 may be provided so that the camera assembly 110 can be pivoted to a predetermined angle to allow the camera assembly 110 to be unfolded or folded.

[0045] The mirror drive gear 123, which is provided in at least a portion of the interior of the mirror driver 122, can be engaged with the system drive gear 131 and deployed after the camera drive gear 113 is deployed, or when the deployed camera monitoring system 100 is switched to the folded state, the folded state can be switched in advance before the camera assembly 110 is folded. In short, the camera drive gear 113 and the mirror drive gear 123 can be formed in predetermined areas to receive the same amount of rotation based on the central axis, and can be configured to deploy the camera assembly 110 and the mirror assembly 120 in sequence.

[0046] Figure 2BThe following state is shown: the driving force of the system driver 130 is applied to the camera driver 112 through the system drive gear 131, thereby causing the camera assembly 110 to be deployed. When the camera assembly 110 is deployed, the system drive gear 131 can be engaged with the camera drive gear 113. In this state, the mirror drive gear 123 can be spaced apart from the system drive gear 131, so that the driving force of the system driver 130 is not transmitted to the mirror assembly 120.

[0047] As described above, the rotation force of the system driving gear 131 can be transmitted to the camera driving gear 113, and the camera housing 115 formed integrally with the camera driver 112 can pivot simultaneously. Therefore, one end of the camera assembly 110 can pivot in a direction away from the vehicle body 300.

[0048] Figure 2C 1 shows the state of the camera monitoring system 100 when the controller 200 detects a malfunction of the camera assembly 110 or when a user's request is input to the controller 200, and thus the controller 200 may be configured to receive a request for deploying the mirror assembly 120. The controller 200 is a component of the camera assembly 110 and may be configured to deploy the mirror assembly 120 when an error occurs in the camera 111 or the display or a communication error occurs.

[0049] Alternatively, even when a user request to unfold the mirror assembly 120 is received at the controller 200, the controller 200 may be configured to apply a driving force to the mirror assembly 120 to provide a side view through the mirror 121. Specifically, the malfunction of the camera assembly 110 of the present disclosure may include all situations in which a side image is difficult to be transmitted to the user through the camera 111.

[0050] In order to unfold the mirror assembly 120 in the unfolded state of the camera assembly 110, the boss portion 114, which is further spaced apart from the camera driving gear 113, may be configured to rotate so that one side of the mirror driving gear 123 moves inside the camera driver 112 and is configured to engage the mirror driving gear 123 with the system driving gear 131 of the system driver 130. In addition, when the camera driver 112 rotates so that the mirror driving gear 123 and the system driving gear 131 engage with each other, the coupling between the camera driving gear 113 and the system driving gear 131 may be released.

[0051] In a state where the mirror drive gear 123 and the system drive gear 131 are engaged with each other and the engagement between the camera drive gear 113 and the system drive gear 131 is released, the driving force of the system drive gear 131 can be transmitted to the mirror drive gear 123, so that the mirror driver 122 and the mirror housing 125 can be integrally pivoted. As described above, the rotating mirror assembly 120 can be inserted to surround at least a portion of the camera assembly 110 and is configured to provide a user with a side view of the vehicle through one side surface where the mirror 121 is located.

[0052] Figure 3A FIG2 shows a front view of the camera monitoring system 100 in a deployed state of the camera assembly 110. The camera assembly 110 may be configured to pivot via the system drive gear 131 of the system driver 130. Specifically, the camera drive gear 113 may be configured to receive the rotational force of the system drive gear 131 to pivot the camera housing 115.

[0053] The camera drive gear 113 may be disposed at least partially within the interior of the camera driver 112 to pivot the camera assembly 110 upward by a predetermined angle. In other words, the camera drive gear 113 may be formed in an area that corresponds to an angle equal to the deployed angle of the camera assembly 110 relative to the central axis, or in an area that corresponds to an angle greater than the deployed angle. Specifically, the camera driver 112 may be configured to have a rotation radius substantially equal to that of the mirror driver 122, or a greater rotation radius than that of the mirror driver 122.

[0054] Figure 3B The figure shows the engagement relationship between the camera driver 112, the mirror driver 122, and the system driver 130. As shown in the figure, the camera driver 112 and the mirror driver 122 are formed to have the same central axis. Specifically, the mirror driver 122 may be disposed inside the camera driver 112. The system drive gear 131 of the system driver 130 may be disposed between the inner side of the camera driver 112 and the outer side of the mirror driver 122, and is configured to selectively apply driving force to the camera driver 112 and the mirror driver 122.

[0055] The controller 200 may be configured to deploy the camera assembly 110 in response to a vehicle startup condition and a user's request, and to apply power to the system driver 130, causing the camera assembly 110 to pivot. Consequently, the camera assembly 110 may pivot and unfold, positioning the camera 111 in a position to capture images of the vehicle's exterior surface. After the camera assembly 110 is deployed, the mirror driver 122 may be configured to release the engagement between the camera assembly 110 and the system driver 130 upon further rotation of the system driver 130, and to engage the mirror drive gear 123 with the system drive gear 131.

[0056] Specifically, the camera assembly 110 may include a boss portion 114 formed at a position spaced apart from the camera driving gear 113, and therefore, when the camera driver 112 is further rotated in the deployed state of the camera assembly 110, the boss portion 114 may be configured to move the mirror driving gear 123 to engage with the system driving gear 131 of the system driver 130. Furthermore, when the mirror driving gear 123 is engaged with the system driving gear 131, the camera driving gear 113 may be configured to be released from the system driving gear 131. Therefore, the driving force applied from the system driver 130 may be transmitted to the mirror assembly 120, and the mirror assembly 120 may be deployed to a position substantially adjacent to the camera assembly 110.

[0057] The mirror driving gear 123 may be provided at at least a portion of the inner surface of the mirror driver 122, such that the mirror driving gear 123 may be provided at a predetermined position inside the mirror driver 122 to correspond to the deployment angle of the mirror assembly 120. When the camera driving gear 113 is deployed, the mirror driving gear 123 may be configured to maintain a state in which engagement with the system driving gear 131 is released, and when a user request or a malfunction of the camera assembly 110 applied in a fully deployed state occurs, the mirror driving gear 123 is configured so that the mirror driving gear 123 and the system driving gear 131 engage with each other, and the mirror assembly 120 can be deployed.

[0058] In other words, the boss portion 114 provided inside the camera driver 112 may be included so that the camera driver 112 further rotates, and thus the mirror drive gear 123 meshes with the system drive gear 131 of the system driver 130. The boss portion 114 may be configured so that the mirror drive gear 123 rotates according to the rotation of the camera driver 112, and the rotated mirror drive gear 123 meshes with the system drive gear 131 of the system driver 130. Therefore, the region of the camera drive gear 113 provided inside the cylindrical camera driver 112 may be provided to have a predetermined angle based on the central axis, and the angle of the region provided with the camera drive gear 113 may be greater than the angle provided by the mirror drive gear 123.

[0059] Figure 4A The figure shows the coupling relationship between the camera driver 112, the mirror driver 122, and the system driving gear 131 in the folded state of the camera monitoring system 100. As shown in the figure, the camera driver 112 may include a camera driving gear 113 formed in an area having a predetermined angle from the central axis of the interior of the camera driver 112, and the camera driving gear 113 may be engaged with the system driving gear 131 in the folded state of the camera monitoring system 100.

[0060] Furthermore, when the camera monitoring system 100 is folded, the mirror drive gear 123 may be positioned in an area that is spaced apart from the system drive gear 131 at a predetermined angle on the outside of the mirror driver 122. The boss portion 114 disposed within the camera driver 112 may be formed at a position that is 180 degrees out of phase with respect to the center axis relative to the area where the camera drive gear 113 is disposed. Therefore, when the camera monitoring system 100 is folded, the boss portion 114 may be spaced apart from the mirror drive gear 123.

[0061] Figure 4B A cross-sectional view of the system driver 130 is shown in a state where the controller 200 causes the camera assembly 110 to unfold according to a predetermined condition. The controller 200 may be configured to apply power to the motor of the system driver 130 and to apply rotational force to the camera drive gear 113 meshing with the system drive gear 131 in response to vehicle startup or a user request for unfolding when the first camera monitoring system 100 is initially folded.

[0062] The camera drive gear 113 can be configured to rotate in the same direction as the system drive gear 131, and can be configured to pivot the camera assembly 110 in a direction that moves the first end of the camera housing 115 away from the vehicle body 300. Furthermore, when the camera drive gear 113 rotates to a predetermined angle along the system drive gear 131, the mirror drive gear 123 can remain separated from the system drive gear 131 so as not to apply a driving force. As described above, the camera assembly 110 can be opened and pivoted in response to the driving force of the system drive 130, and can be configured to position the camera 111 at a position for capturing a side image of the vehicle.

[0063] Figure 5A A cross-sectional view shows a state in which the mirror drive gear 123 is engaged with the system drive gear 131 to pivot and unfold the mirror assembly 120. The mirror drive gear 123 may be provided in an area having a predetermined angle based on the central axis on the outer side of the mirror driver 122, so that after the camera assembly 110 is unfolded, the mirror drive gear 123 may be maintained in a state spaced apart from the system drive gear 131.

[0064] However, when a malfunction of the camera assembly 110 is detected or a user's request is input, the controller 200 may be configured to further rotate the camera driving gear 113, and the boss portion 114 provided inside the camera driver 112 may be moved to rotate the mirror driving gear 123 in a direction to mesh with the system driving gear 131. According to the further rotation of the camera driver 112, the camera driving gear 113 may be released from the system driving gear 131 of the system driver 130, and the mirror driving gear 123 and the system driving gear 131 of the system driver 130 may mesh with each other.

[0065] Therefore, the driving force of the system driver 130 can be transmitted to the mirror assembly 120, thereby unfolding the mirror assembly 120. As described above, according to the present disclosure, the angle and time point at which the camera assembly 110 and the mirror assembly 120 pivot and unfold can be adjusted based on the position of the boss portion 114, the angle formed by the camera driving gear 113, and the angle formed by the mirror driving gear 123.

[0066] Figure 5B The cross-sectional view shows a state in which the mirror driving gear 123 is deployed according to the driving force of the system driver 130. As shown in the figure, at least a portion of the camera assembly 110 can be inserted into and disposed inside the mirror housing 125, and a side of the mirror assembly 120 provided with the mirror 121 can be configured to provide a side view of the vehicle.

[0067] Figure 6A A cross section of the system driver 130 is shown at a point in time when the camera monitoring system 100 in the deployed state is switched to the folded state. The deployed camera assembly 110 and the deployed mirror assembly 120 are operable so that the mirror assembly 120 is switched to the folded state and then the camera assembly 110 is folded in response to a signal applied to the controller 200.

[0068] Specifically, when the camera assembly 110 is determined to be operating normally (e.g., without malfunction, error, or failure) or a user's request is input, the controller 200 may be configured to switch the mirror assembly 120 to a folded state to receive a lateral field of view of the vehicle through the camera assembly 110. When a folding switch signal of the mirror assembly 120 is applied to the controller 200, the system drive gear 131 of the system driver 130 may be operated to rotate the mirror drive gear 123.

[0069] Since the driving force of the system driver 130 can be transmitted to the mirror assembly 120 while the mirror drive gear 123 is meshed with the system drive gear 131, the mirror assembly 120 can be folded adjacent to the vehicle body 300. Simultaneously, the mirror drive gear 123 can rotate while contacting a boss portion 114 provided within the camera driver 112. The boss portion 114 and the mirror drive gear 123 can rotate simultaneously, thereby switching the camera driver 112, including the boss portion 114, to a position meshed with the system drive gear 131 of the system driver 130. When the mirror assembly 120 is fully folded, the camera drive gear 113 can be meshed with the system drive gear 131 of the system driver 130, and the mirror drive gear 123 can be released from the system drive gear 131.

[0070] Figure 6BA cross-sectional view of components of the camera assembly 110 configured to be folded when the mirror assembly 120 is folded is shown. As shown in the figure, when the mirror assembly 120 is folded, the mirror drive gear 123 can be released from the system drive gear 131 of the system driver 130, and the camera drive gear 113 can be engaged with the system drive gear 131 to receive a driving force from the system driver 130. The camera assembly 110, having received the driving force, can be switched to a folded state to allow at least a portion of the camera assembly 110 to be inserted into the mirror assembly 120.

[0071] As reference Figures 4A to 6B As described, the camera monitoring system 100 of the present disclosure including a single drive shaft is constructed so that the camera assembly 110 and the mirror assembly 120 can be unfolded in sequence according to the positional relationship of the system drive gear 131, the camera drive gear 113 and the mirror drive gear 123, and the mirror assembly 120 and the camera assembly 110 can be folded in sequence.

[0072] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the camera monitoring system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. When a vehicle includes the camera monitoring system 100, the controller 200 may be configured to determine whether the vehicle is in an active state and to determine the folded state of the camera assembly 110 and the mirror assembly 120 when the vehicle is in the active state. Subsequently, upon receiving a user request, the camera monitoring system 100 may be configured to unfold the camera assembly 110 and rotate the system drive gear 131 of the system driver 130 to apply a rotational force to the camera drive gear 113.

[0073] The camera driver 112 can rotate integrally with the camera housing 115 in response to a rotational force applied to the camera drive gear 113, thereby moving the camera assembly 110 to a position where the camera 111 can capture a side view of the vehicle. With the camera assembly 110 deployed, the method may include determining whether a fault has occurred in the configuration or communication relationship of the camera assembly 110. Fault conditions of the camera assembly 110 may include a fault in the camera 111, a fault in the display, or a fault in communication between the camera 111 and the display.

[0074] When it is determined that the camera assembly 110 has failed, the method may include issuing or outputting a warning alarm to the user and determining whether to apply a deployment signal for the mirror assembly 120. When the warning alarm is issued to the user, the method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include activating a set of warning lights and / or emitting a warning sound. When the deployment signal for the mirror assembly 120 is applied in the state where the camera assembly 110 has failed, the system driver 130 may be operated to apply a driving force to the mirror assembly 120.

[0075] In response to the deployment signal of the mirror assembly 120, the system driver 130 may be configured to further rotate the camera driver 112, and the boss portion 114 provided inside the camera driver 112 may be rotated to move the mirror driving gear 123 into engagement with the system driving gear 131 of the system driver 130. When the mirror driving gear 123 is engaged with the system driving gear 131, the camera driving gear 113 may be released from the system driving gear 131, and thus, the driving force of the system driver 130 may be applied to the mirror assembly 120.

[0076] Mirror assembly 120, to which driving force is applied, may be deployed to a position corresponding to at least a portion of camera assembly 110. Thereafter, the method may include determining whether camera assembly 110 operates normally, and sending a notification to a user when it is determined that camera assembly 110 operates normally after the malfunction occurs.

[0077] When a folding signal of the mirror assembly 120 is received from a user in a normal operating state of the camera assembly 110, the controller 200 may be configured to fold the mirror assembly 120 and receive a lateral field of view of the vehicle through the camera 111. As described above, the present disclosure relates to the deployment and folding of the camera assembly 110 and the mirror assembly 120 of the camera monitoring system 100 for a vehicle, and more particularly, the present disclosure provides a method including preparing to control the deployment of the mirror assembly 120 when a malfunction occurs in the camera assembly 110.

[0078] The present disclosure can achieve the following effects based on the above-described configuration, combination, and usage. According to the present disclosure, the camera monitoring system can be configured to unfold or fold according to the driving environment, thereby protecting the camera monitoring system from external environmental influences. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, the camera monitoring system can be configured to improve driving stability by providing lateral visibility in the event of a camera component failure.

[0079] The foregoing detailed description illustrates the present disclosure. In addition, the foregoing is intended to illustrate and describe exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure can be used in a variety of other combinations, modifications and environments. In other words, changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure disclosed in this specification, equivalents and / or within the scope of the technology or knowledge within the scope of the field described in the present disclosure. The exemplary embodiments described are intended to illustrate the best mode for carrying out the technical spirit of the present disclosure, and various modifications can be made to it in the specific applications and uses of the present disclosure. Therefore, the detailed description section is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. In addition, the appended claims should be interpreted as intending to include other exemplary embodiments.

Claims

1. A camera monitoring system comprising: a camera assembly configured to capture an image of an exterior surface of the vehicle; a mirror assembly disposed to overlap at least a portion of the camera assembly; a system driver configured to perform deployment and folding of the camera assembly and the mirror assembly; as well as a controller configured to operate the system driver in response to an input of deployment or folding of the camera assembly and the mirror assembly and to determine a failure of the camera assembly, wherein the camera assembly and the mirror assembly move based on a single drive axis, and the controller is configured to cause the camera assembly and the mirror assembly to unfold or fold; Wherein, the system driver includes: a motor disposed in the vehicle body; and a system drive gear disposed at one end of the motor and located between the camera driver and the mirror driver; and Wherein, when the camera assembly is unfolded, the system driving gear is configured to engage with the camera driving gear, and when the mirror assembly is unfolded, the system driving gear is configured to selectively engage with the mirror driving gear.

2. The camera monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The camera assembly includes: a camera housing, coupled to the vehicle body; a camera disposed within the camera housing and configured to capture an image of an exterior surface of the vehicle; a camera driver configured to cause the camera housing to pivot via the camera driver; a camera driving gear, at least a portion of which is disposed inside the camera driver and configured to transmit a driving force of the camera driver; and A display is installed inside the vehicle and is configured to display an image captured by the camera.

3. The camera monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The mirror assembly comprises: a mirror housing into which the camera assembly is inserted; a mirror driver configured to pivot the mirror housing via the mirror driver; and A mirror drive gear, at least a portion of which is disposed within the mirror driver, and configured to allow the mirror housing to pivot and deploy after the camera assembly pivots and deploys.

4. The camera monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: A radius of the camera driver is larger than a radius of the mirror driver, and the system driving gear is disposed between the mirror driver and the camera driver.

5. A method for controlling a camera monitoring system, comprising: Detecting the status of the camera assembly and the mirror assembly through the controller; determining, by the controller, whether a user request is input in response to detecting the folded state of the camera assembly and the mirror assembly; In response to the received user request, deploying the camera assembly via the controller; determining, by the controller, a fault in the camera assembly; as well as in response to determining a malfunction of the camera assembly, deploying the mirror assembly via the controller; wherein the mirror assembly is deployed by the controller, the camera assembly and the mirror assembly are moved based on a single drive axis, and the controller is configured to deploy or fold the camera assembly and the mirror assembly; The motor is arranged in the vehicle body; a system drive gear provided at one end of the motor and located between the camera driver and the mirror driver; and Wherein, when the camera assembly is unfolded, the system driving gear is configured to engage with the camera driving gear, and when the mirror assembly is unfolded, the system driving gear is configured to selectively engage with the mirror driving gear.

6. The method for controlling a camera monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein: Determining a failure of the camera assembly includes outputting an alert to a user in response to determining a failure of the camera assembly.

7. The method of controlling a camera monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein: Outputting an alert to the user includes determining, by the controller, whether a mirror deployment input from the user is received; and In response to receiving a mirror deployment input from a user, the mirror assembly is deployed by the controller.

8. The method for controlling a camera monitoring system according to claim 5, wherein: In response to determining a malfunction of the camera assembly, causing, by the controller, the mirror assembly to deploy comprises: determining, by the controller, whether the camera assembly is operating normally; and The mirror assembly is folded by the controller in response to determining that the camera assembly is operating normally.

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