Support device

Abstract

This invention provides an assistance device that improves the visibility of images taken from behind a vehicle. [Solution] An assist device for checking the rear of a vehicle, provided in the interior of a vehicle equipped with an imaging device for imaging the rear of the vehicle, and located in front of the driver's seat, comprises a display unit that displays the image captured by the imaging device on a display surface, and a cover unit that covers the display surface of the display unit and can be in a mirror state that reflects light or a transparent state that transmits light, and the display unit is inclined with respect to the cover unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a support device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a display device that displays an image of a rearview camera that captures the rear of a vehicle on a rearview display and serves as a mirror when the image is not displayed on the rearview display.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a vehicle in which light such as sunlight enters the vehicle interior from the rear of the vehicle, for example, a vehicle such as a flat-body type truck, when the above-described display device is provided, the rear of the vehicle is reflected on the rearview display due to the incident light from the rear of the vehicle into the vehicle interior, which may affect the visibility of the image displayed on the rearview display.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a support device that improves the visibility of an image capturing the rear of a vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve at least a part of the above problems, and can be realized as the following aspects or application examples.

[0007] (1) The support device according to this application example is a support device provided in front of the driver's seat inside the vehicle equipped with an imaging device for imaging the area behind the vehicle, and is used to assist in checking the area behind the vehicle, comprising: a display unit that displays the image captured by the imaging device on a display surface; and a cover unit that covers the display surface of the display unit and is capable of being in a mirror state that reflects light or a transparent state that transmits light, wherein the display unit is inclined with respect to the cover unit.

[0008] In this application example, by adjusting the orientation of the support device so that the reflected light from the mirror-like cover is guided to the driver's eyes, the driver can see the area behind the vehicle reflected in the cover when the cover is in a mirror state. On the other hand, when the cover is transparent, the driver can see the area behind the vehicle displayed on the display surface of the display unit. Therefore, according to this application example, the area behind the vehicle can be seen in two ways. Furthermore, in this application example, since the display unit is inclined relative to the cover, the optical path of the reflected light on the display surface of the display unit is inclined relative to the optical path of the reflected light from the mirror-like cover. Therefore, as described above, by adjusting the orientation of the support device so that the reflected light from the mirror-like cover is guided to the driver's eyes, when the cover is transparent, the reflected light on the display surface of the display unit is guided to a position away from the driver's eyes. In other words, the reflection of the area behind the vehicle on the display surface of the display unit is suppressed for the driver. Therefore, according to this application example, the visibility of the captured image displayed on the display surface of the display unit, which shows the area behind vehicle 1, can be improved.

[0009] (2) The support device relating to the application example of (1) above further comprises a state control unit that, upon receiving vehicle state information indicating the state of the vehicle, sets the cover portion to the mirror state or the transparent state.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the cover can be made to be either mirror-like or transparent in accordance with changes in the vehicle's condition.

[0011] (3) In the support device relating to the application example of (2) above, the vehicle status information is a reverse status signal indicating the reverse state of the vehicle, and when the status control unit receives the reverse status signal, it sets the cover to the transparent state.

[0012] When a vehicle driver checks the area behind the vehicle via an assist system, the driver is facing the front of the vehicle. Therefore, when a driver checks the area behind the vehicle via an assist system, they can generally only obtain information about the area behind the vehicle from the assist system. Furthermore, when a driver is reversing a vehicle, the direction of travel is towards the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, when a driver is reversing a vehicle while checking the area behind the vehicle via an assist system, the information about the area behind the vehicle obtained from the assist system becomes highly important. Based on these considerations, with the above configuration, by making the cover transparent in conjunction with the reversing of the vehicle, the area behind the vehicle can be reliably seen even if the light entering the vehicle's interior from the rear of the vehicle includes bright light such as sunlight, in situations where information about the area behind the vehicle is important. In other words, visibility of the area behind the vehicle can be improved in situations where information about the area behind the vehicle is important.

[0013] (4) In the support device relating to the application example of (2) above, the vehicle status information is a signal that indicates the selected state of the shift range output from the vehicle's shift device, excluding the forward setting signal that indicates that the direction of travel of the vehicle has been set to the forward side.

[0014] According to the above configuration, when a signal other than the forward setting signal is received from the shift device, the cover can be made to a mirror state or a transparent state.

[0015] (5) In the support device relating to the application example of (2) above, the vehicle status information is a rear setting signal indicating that the direction of travel of the vehicle has been set to the rear, and when the status control unit receives the rear setting signal, it sets the cover to the transparent state.

[0016] When a vehicle driver checks the area behind the vehicle via an assist device, the driver is facing the front of the vehicle. Therefore, when a driver checks the area behind the vehicle via an assist device, they can generally only obtain information about the area behind the vehicle from the assist device. Furthermore, when a driver is reversing a vehicle, the direction of travel is towards the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, when a driver is reversing a vehicle while checking the area behind the vehicle via an assist device, the information about the area behind the vehicle obtained from the assist device becomes highly important. Based on these considerations, with the above configuration, by receiving a rear setting signal from the shift device and making the cover transparent, the area behind the vehicle can be reliably seen even if the light entering the vehicle's interior from the rear of the vehicle includes bright light such as sunlight, in situations where information about the area behind the vehicle is important. In other words, visibility of the area behind the vehicle can be improved in situations where information about the area behind the vehicle is important.

[0017] (6) The support device relating to the application example of (1) above further comprises a switching operation unit that receives a switching operation to switch the cover from one of the mirror state and the transparent state to the other, and a switching control unit that, when the switching operation unit receives the switching operation, switches the cover from one of the mirror state and the transparent state to the other.

[0018] With the above configuration, the cover can be switched between a mirrored state and a transparent state at any time.

[0019] (7) The support device relating to the application example of (1) above further comprises a rotation operation unit connected to the display unit and which receives rotation operations, wherein when the rotation operation unit receives the rotation operation, the display unit rotates and the inclination angle of the display unit with respect to the cover unit is changed.

[0020] According to the above configuration, reflections of the vehicle's rear onto the display surface of the display unit are suppressed, while the orientation of the display surface can be set to one that provides high visibility of the captured image.

[0021] In the support device according to the application example of (1) above, the display unit displays the captured image on the display surface while the cover unit is in the transparent state.

[0022] According to the above configuration, since the captured image is displayed on the display surface of the display unit only while the cover unit is in the transparent state, unnecessary power consumption of the display unit can be suppressed.

[0023] In the support device according to the application example of (1) above, the vehicle is a flat-body type truck.

[0024] According to the above configuration, the rear of the flat-body type truck can be visually recognized in two ways. Also, according to the above configuration, the visibility of the captured image displayed on the display surface of the display unit can be improved, and as a result, the visibility of the rear of the flat-body type truck imaged by the captured image can be improved.

[0025] The support device according to this application example is a support device that is provided in front of the driver's seat in the interior of a vehicle equipped with an imaging device that captures the rear of the vehicle, and supports the confirmation of the rear of the vehicle. The support device includes: a display unit that displays a captured image of the imaging device on a display surface; a cover unit that covers the display surface of the display unit and can be in a mirror state that reflects light or a transparent state that transmits light; and a state control unit that sets the cover unit to the transparent state when receiving a reverse state signal indicating the reverse state of the vehicle or a rear setting signal indicating that the traveling direction of the vehicle is set to the rear side as vehicle state information indicating the state of the vehicle.

[0026] In this application example, when the cover part is in a mirror state, the driver can visually recognize the rear of the vehicle reflected on the cover part. On the other hand, when the cover part is in a transparent state, the driver can visually recognize the rear of the vehicle displayed on the display surface of the display part. Therefore, according to this application example, the rear of the vehicle can be visually recognized in two ways. Also, in this application example, when the vehicle state information indicating the state of the vehicle is a reverse state signal or a rear setting signal, the cover part is in a transparent state. From these facts, according to this application example, when the vehicle state information indicating the state of the vehicle is a reverse state signal or a rear setting signal, by making the cover part in a transparent state, the visibility of the rear of the vehicle can be improved in a scene where the information of the rear of the vehicle is important.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] [Figure 1] It is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the vehicle of this embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a schematic rear view showing the configuration of the vehicle of this embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a schematic top view showing a part of the configuration of the vehicle of this embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the support device of this embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the support device of this embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the support device of this embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the usage example of the support device of this embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the usage example of the support device of this embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram for explaining the usage example of the support device of this embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the support device of a modified example. [Figure 11] It is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the support device of a modified example. [Figure 12] It is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the support device of a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] 1. Vehicle configuration Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing vehicle 1 of this embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic rear view showing vehicle 1 of this embodiment. Figure 3 is a schematic top view showing part of the configuration of vehicle 1 of this embodiment.

[0029] First, the configuration of Vehicle 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The length direction of Vehicle 1 may be expressed as the X direction or the front-rear direction (see Figure 1, etc.). The width direction of Vehicle 1 may be expressed as the Y direction or the left-right direction (see Figure 2, etc.). Furthermore, the height direction of Vehicle 1 may be expressed as the Z direction, the up-down direction or the vertical direction (see Figure 2, etc.).

[0030] Vehicle 1 is a vehicle in which light such as sunlight is shone into the interior of Vehicle 1 from the rear, for example, a flatbed truck. Vehicle 1 is equipped with a pair of left and right front wheels 10, a pair of left and right rear wheels 12, a cabin (cab) 14, a cargo bed (body) 22, a direction of travel detection sensor 24, a stop detection sensor 26, a shift device 28, an imaging unit 34, and a support device 50, etc.

[0031] Each front wheel 10 is suspended from the frame of the vehicle 1 at the front of the frame. Each rear wheel 12 is suspended from the frame of the vehicle 1 at the rear of the frame. The frame of the vehicle 1 is a ladder frame chassis frame.

[0032] The cabin 14 is mounted on the frame of the vehicle 1, at the front of the frame. Inside the cabin 14 are a driver's seat 16 and a steering wheel, and the driver A of the vehicle 1 sits in the driver's seat 16 inside the cabin 14.

[0033] Furthermore, an opening 18 is formed on the rear side of the cabin 14, or in other words, on the cargo bed 22 side of the cabin 14, and this opening 18 is covered with a light-transmitting transparent material 20 such as a glass plate or a resin plate. Note that the interior of the vehicle 1 refers to the interior of the vehicle 1 where the driver A is seated, that is, the interior of the cabin 14.

[0034] The cargo bed 22 is mounted on the frame of the vehicle 1, behind the cabin 14. The cargo bed 22 is constructed as a flatbed and includes longitudinal joists, transverse joists, floor panels, side panels, and a frame section. Except for the frame section and other components that protect the cabin 14 from the cargo on the cargo bed 22, these components are located below the transparent member 20.

[0035] The direction of travel detection sensor 24 includes an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or one or more combinations thereof, and detects the direction of travel of the vehicle 1. The direction of travel detection sensor 24 outputs a forward state signal indicating that the vehicle 1 is moving forward, or a reverse state signal indicating that the vehicle 1 is moving backward, to the support device 50 as vehicle state information indicating the state of the vehicle 1.

[0036] The stop detection sensor 26 includes a speed sensor, a rotation speed sensor, or one or more combinations thereof, and detects when vehicle 1 is stopped. The stop detection sensor 26 outputs a stop status signal indicating the stopped state of vehicle 1 to the support device 50 as vehicle status information.

[0037] The shift device 28 is provided for switching the shift range and includes a selection operation unit 30. The selection operation unit 30 is a shift lever, a button, etc., and receives a selection operation to select a shift range. In the shift device 28, when the selection operation unit 30 receives a selection operation, an arbitrary shift range is selected.

[0038] The shift device 28 allows, for example, the selection of parking range (P range), reverse range (R range), neutral range (N range), drive range (D range), or brake range (B range).

[0039] The parking range is the shift range for parking vehicle 1. The reverse range is the shift range that sets the direction of travel of vehicle 1 to the rear. The neutral range is the shift range that cuts off the transmission of power from the drive source to the various wheels. The drive range is the shift range that sets the direction of travel of vehicle 1 to the forward. The brake range is the shift range that sets the direction of travel of vehicle 1 to the forward and activates the engine braking function or the regenerative braking function.

[0040] The shift device 28 also includes a shift sensor 32. The shift sensor 32 detects the shift range selected by the shift device 28 by detecting a selection operation on the selection operation unit 30. The shift sensor 32 also outputs a signal indicating the selected shift range to the support device 50 as vehicle status information.

[0041] The shift sensor 32 outputs, for example, a parking signal indicating the parking range, a reverse signal indicating the reverse range, a neutral signal indicating the neutral range, a drive signal indicating the drive range, or a brake signal indicating the brake range.

[0042] Furthermore, when a shift range is selected that sets the direction of travel of vehicle 1 to forward, the signals output from the shift sensor 32, such as the drive signal and brake signal, can be said to be forward setting signals indicating that the direction of travel of vehicle 1 has been set to forward.

[0043] Furthermore, when a shift range is selected that sets the direction of travel of vehicle 1 to the rear, the signal output from the shift sensor 32, such as the reverse signal, can be said to be a rearward setting signal indicating that the direction of travel of vehicle 1 has been set to the rear.

[0044] Furthermore, the parking signal output from the shift sensor 32 when the parking range is selected, and the neutral signal output from the shift sensor 32 when the neutral range is selected, can also be considered rearward setting signals.

[0045] The neutral range does not set the direction of travel of vehicle 1 to the rear. However, depending on the shift device 28, for example, when the reverse range is selected from the drive range, the shift ranges are selected in the order of drive range, neutral range, and reverse range. Therefore, the neutral signal can also be called the rear setting signal.

[0046] Furthermore, while the parking range does not set the direction of travel of vehicle 1 to the rear, it is conceivable that vehicle 1 could be stopped, its rearward position checked, and then the reverse range could be selected to set the direction of travel of vehicle 1 to the rear. Therefore, for example, the parking signal could also be called the rearward setting signal.

[0047] Furthermore, as mentioned above, if the parking signal output from the shift sensor 32 due to the selection of the parking range, and the neutral signal output from the shift sensor 32 due to the selection of the neutral range, etc., are not included in the rear setting signals, then the parking signal and the neutral signal, etc., may be referred to as the front setting signals.

[0048] The imaging unit 34 is a general-purpose camera including an image sensor. The imaging unit 34 is positioned at any location on the vehicle 1, facing the rear of the vehicle 1, and captures images of the area behind the vehicle 1. Therefore, the images obtained by the imaging unit 34 are images of the area behind the vehicle 1. The images obtained by the imaging unit 34 include continuous images (motion video).

[0049] The support device 50 is a device that assists driver A in checking the rear of vehicle 1. The support device 50 is installed in the interior of vehicle 1, in front of the driver's seat 16. In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3, the support device 50 is connected to the ceiling of the interior of vehicle 1 via a support member, in front of the driver's seat 16 inside the interior of vehicle 1.

[0050] 2. Configuration of the support device Figure 4 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the support device 50 of this embodiment. Figure 5 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the support device 50 of this embodiment. The support device 50 includes a housing 52, a display unit 56, a cover unit 60, and the like.

[0051] The housing 52 is a housing that extends in one direction and has an opening 54 formed therein. The housing 52 also houses a flat plate-shaped display unit 56 that extends along the longitudinal direction (extension direction) of the housing 52, and the opening 54 is closed by a flat plate-shaped cover unit 60 that extends along the extension direction of the housing 52.

[0052] The display unit 56 is a general-purpose self-emissive display or a display with a light source, which displays the image captured by the imaging unit 34 on the display surface 58. As described above, the display unit 56 has a flat plate shape that extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing 52, and is housed inside the housing 52 with the display surface 58 positioned on the cover portion 60 side. In other words, the display surface 58 of the display unit 56 faces the cover portion 60.

[0053] Furthermore, the display unit 56 is inclined with respect to the cover unit 60, with the display surface 58 facing the cover unit 60. Specifically, the display unit 56 uses the longitudinal direction of the housing 52 as its axis of rotation (axis of inclination), with one end of the display surface 58 in the short direction approaching the cover unit 60, and the other end in the short direction being further away from the cover unit 60 than the other end, thus inclining with respect to the cover unit 60.

[0054] The cover portion 60 is a dimmable mirror whose transmittance and reflectance can be electrically controlled. As described above, the cover portion 60 has a flat plate shape that extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing 52, covering the display surface 58 of the display portion 56 while closing the opening 54 of the housing 52. In the cover portion 60, transmittance and reflectance are in a trade-off relationship; when one increases, the other decreases. Therefore, the cover portion 60 can be in a mirror state that reflects light, or a transparent state that transmits light.

[0055] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the support device 50 in this embodiment. In addition to the housing 52, display unit 56, and cover unit 60, the support device 50 includes a control unit 70 and the like.

[0056] The control unit 70 is a computer that performs overall control of the support device 50. The control unit 70 is electrically connected to the display unit 56 and the cover unit 60, etc., via control circuits, etc. The control unit 70 is also electrically connected to the direction of travel detection sensor 24, the stop detection sensor 26, the shift device 28, and the imaging unit 34, etc., via control circuits, etc.

[0057] The control unit 70 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 80 and a storage unit 100 that the CPU 80 can directly access. The storage unit 100 is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), SSD (Solid State Drive), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), or any combination thereof.

[0058] The memory unit 100 stores programs and data for controlling the operation of the support device 50. Furthermore, the various data stored in the memory unit 100 are updated as needed.

[0059] Furthermore, the CPU 80 functions as a state control unit 82, a display control unit 84, and the like by executing a program stored in the memory unit 100.

[0060] When the control unit 70 receives vehicle status information, the status control unit 82 sets the cover portion 60 to a mirror state or a transparent state. The control unit 70 then stores the vehicle status information it has received as vehicle status data 102 in data format in the storage unit 100.

[0061] Specifically, when the control unit 70 receives vehicle status information output from the direction of travel detection sensor 24 or the stopped detection sensor 26, the state control unit 82 sets the cover portion 60 to a mirror state or a transparent state.

[0062] For example, if the vehicle status information indicates a forward state signal output from the direction of travel detection sensor 24, the status control unit 82 sets its cover portion 60 to a mirror state.

[0063] For example, if the vehicle status information indicates a reverse state signal output from the direction of travel detection sensor 24, the status control unit 82 makes its cover portion 60 transparent.

[0064] Furthermore, the state control unit 82 may be configured to set the cover portion 60 to a mirror state or a transparent state when the control unit 70 receives vehicle state information output from the shift sensor 32 of the shift device 28.

[0065] For example, if the vehicle status information indicates a forward setting signal output from the shift sensor 32 of the shift device 28, the status control unit 82 sets its cover portion 60 to a mirror state.

[0066] For example, if the vehicle status information indicates a signal other than the forward setting signal among the signals indicating the selected shift range output from the shift sensor 32 of the shift device 28, the status control unit 82 sets its cover portion 60 to a mirror state or a transparent state.

[0067] For example, if the vehicle status information indicates a rear setting signal output from the shift sensor 32 of the shift device 28, the status control unit 82 makes its cover portion 60 transparent.

[0068] The display control unit 84 acquires an image using the imaging unit 34 and displays the image on the display surface 58 of the display unit 56. The control unit 70 stores the acquired image as image data 104 in data format in the storage unit 100.

[0069] 3. Examples of support device usage Figures 7 to 9 are schematic diagrams illustrating examples of use of the support device 50 of this embodiment. Figure 7 is also a schematic top view showing part of the configuration of the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, and the shift device 28 is not shown in Figure 7. Figure 8 shows the cover portion 60 in a mirror state, and Figure 9 shows the cover portion 60 in a transparent state.

[0070] As shown in Figure 7, the support device 50 is installed inside the vehicle 1 in front of the driver's seat 16, with the cover portion 60 facing both the driver's seat 16 and the transparent member 20. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the orientation of the support device 50 is pre-set so that light entering from the rear of the vehicle 1 and reflected by the cover portion 60 is guided in the direction of the driver A's eye E.

[0071] As shown in Figure 8, when the cover portion 60 is in a mirror state, the light L1 incident on the interior of the vehicle 1 from the rear of the vehicle 1 is reflected by the cover portion 60, and the reflected light L2a is guided to the driver A's eyes E. Therefore, when the cover portion 60 is in a mirror state, the rear of the vehicle 1 is reflected in the cover portion 60 in the driver A's field of view, and the driver A can see the rear of the vehicle 1.

[0072] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 9, when the cover portion 60 is transparent, driver A can see the captured image displayed on the display surface 58 of the display unit 56. As described above, since the captured image is an image of the rear of the vehicle 1, driver A can see the rear of the vehicle 1 even when the cover portion 60 is transparent.

[0073] Furthermore, in the support device 50, since the display unit 56 is inclined with respect to the cover unit 60, the optical path of the reflected light L2b on the display surface 58 is inclined with respect to the optical path of the reflected light L2a on the cover unit 60, and the reflected light L2b is guided to a position offset from the driver A's eye E.

[0074] Therefore, when the cover portion 60 is transparent, the reflection of the rear of the vehicle 1 onto the display surface 58 is suppressed in the driver A's field of view. In other words, when the cover portion 60 is transparent, the visibility of the captured image displayed on the display surface 58 of the display unit 56, which shows the rear of the vehicle 1, is improved.

[0075] In this embodiment, if the orientation of the support device 50 is adjusted so that the reflected light L2a from the mirror-like cover portion 60 is guided to the eyes E of the driver A of the vehicle 1, then when the cover portion 60 is in a mirror-like state, the driver A can see the rear of the vehicle 1 reflected in the cover portion 60. On the other hand, when the cover portion 60 is transparent, the rear of the vehicle 1 displayed on the display surface 58 of the display portion 56 can be seen. Therefore, the support device 50 allows the rear of the vehicle 1 to be seen in two ways.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the display unit 56 is inclined with respect to the cover unit 60, the optical path of the reflected light L2b on the display surface 58 of the display unit 56 is inclined with respect to the optical path of the reflected light L2a on the mirror-like cover unit 60. Therefore, as described above, if the orientation of the support device 50 is adjusted so that the reflected light L2a on the mirror-like cover unit 60 is guided to the eyes E of the driver A of the vehicle 1, then when the cover unit 60 is transparent, the reflected light L2b on the display surface 58 of the display unit 56 is guided to a position offset from the eyes E of the driver A. In other words, for the driver A, the reflection of the rear of the vehicle 1 on the display surface 58 of the display unit 56 is suppressed. Thus, the support device 50 can improve the visibility of the captured image displayed on the display surface 58 of the display unit 56 that shows the rear of the vehicle 1.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since vehicle 1 is a flatbed truck, the support device 50 allows the rear of the flatbed truck to be viewed in two ways. In addition, the support device 50 improves the visibility of the captured image displayed on the display surface 58 of the display unit 56, and as a result, improves the visibility of the rear of the flatbed truck captured in the image.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the control unit 70 of the support device 50 receives vehicle state information, the state control unit 82 sets the cover portion 60 to a mirror state or a transparent state. Therefore, the support device 50 can set the cover portion 60 to a mirror state or a transparent state in accordance with changes in the state of the vehicle 1.

[0079] For example, if the vehicle status information is a signal other than the forward setting signal among the signals indicating the shift range selection status, the support device 50 can, in conjunction with the control unit 70 receiving a signal other than the forward setting signal from the shift device 28, set the cover portion 60 to a mirror state or a transparent state.

[0080] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when driver A checks the rear of vehicle 1 via the support device 50, driver A is facing the front of vehicle 1. Therefore, when driver A checks the rear of vehicle 1 via the support device 50, driver A can generally only obtain information about the rear of vehicle 1 from the support device 50. Moreover, when driver A reverses vehicle 1, the direction of travel of vehicle 1 is towards the rear of vehicle 1. Therefore, when driver A reverses vehicle 1 while checking the rear of vehicle 1 via the support device 50, the information about the rear of vehicle 1 obtained from the support device 50 becomes highly important.

[0081] Therefore, if the state control unit 82 makes the cover portion 60 transparent when the control unit 70 receives a reverse state signal as vehicle state information, or when the control unit 70 receives a reverse setting signal as vehicle state information, then in situations where information about the rear of the vehicle 1 is important, even if the light L1 incident from the rear of the vehicle into the vehicle's interior contains bright light such as sunlight, the rear of the vehicle 1 can be reliably seen. In other words, the visibility of the rear of the vehicle can be improved in situations where information about the rear of the vehicle is important.

[0082] 4. Modified examples of support devices Figure 10 is a block showing the electrical configuration of a modified support device 50. The support device 50 may further include a switching operation unit 62. The switching operation unit 62 is, for example, a push button that receives a switching operation to switch the cover unit 60 from one state (mirror state) and the other state (transparent state).

[0083] Furthermore, in the modified support device 50, the CPU 80 also functions as a switching control unit 86 by executing a program stored in the memory unit 100. When the switching operation unit 62 receives a switching operation, the switching control unit 86 switches the cover unit 60 from one state (mirror state) and the other state (transparent state).

[0084] Specifically, the switching control unit 86 switches the cover portion 60 to a transparent state when it is in a mirror state, and switches the cover portion 60 to a mirror state when it is in a transparent state.

[0085] With this modified support device 50, the driver A can switch the cover portion 60 from a mirror state and a transparent state to the other at any time. In this modified version, the state control unit 82 may be omitted from the support device 50.

[0086] Figure 11 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the modified support device 50. Figure 12 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the modified support device 50. The support device 50 may further include a rotary operating unit 64. The rotary operating unit 64 is inserted through a through hole in the housing 52, and one end is connected to the display unit 56.

[0087] The rotation operation unit 64 receives rotational operations with the extension direction of the housing 52 as the axis of rotation. When the rotation operation unit 64 receives a rotational operation, the display unit 56 rotates with the extension direction of the housing 52 as the axis of rotation, and the inclination angle of the display unit 56 with respect to the cover unit 60 is changed.

[0088] With this modified support device 50, reflections of the rear of the vehicle 1 on the display surface 58 are suppressed, while the orientation of the display surface 58 can be set to one that provides high visibility of the captured image.

[0089] This concludes the description of embodiments and their variations of the present invention. However, the specific configurations shown here are merely examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those shown in these embodiments and their variations.

[0090] For example, while the cover 60 is in a mirror state, driver A is unable to see the captured image displayed on the display surface 58 of the display unit 56. Therefore, the display control unit 84 may use the imaging unit 34 to acquire a captured image only while the cover 60 is transparent, and display that captured image on the display surface 58 of the display unit 56. In other words, the display unit 56 may display the captured image on the display surface 58 only while the cover 60 is transparent. In this case, since the captured image is displayed on the display surface 58 of the display unit 56 only while the cover 60 is transparent, unnecessary power consumption in the display unit 56 can be reduced.

[0091] Furthermore, the support device 50 may include at least one of the following: a direction of travel detection sensor 24, a stop detection sensor 26, a shift sensor 32, and an imaging unit 34. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1 vehicle 14 cabins 16 Driver's seat 28 Shift device 34 Imaging Unit 50 Support equipment 56 Display section 58 Display surface 60 Cover section 62 Switching operation unit 64 Rotary operation section 82 State Control Unit 86 Switching Control Unit 102 Vehicle condition data 104 Image data A Driver E eye L1 incident light L2a reflected light L2b reflected light

Claims

1. An assist device provided in the interior of a vehicle equipped with an imaging device for imaging the area behind the vehicle, located in front of the driver's seat, to assist in checking the area behind the vehicle, A display unit that displays the image captured by the aforementioned imaging device on a display surface, The display unit comprises a cover portion that covers the display surface and can be made to be in a mirror state that reflects light or a transparent state that transmits light, The display unit is inclined relative to the cover unit, and is a support device.

2. The support device according to claim 1, further comprising: a state control unit that, upon receiving vehicle state information indicating the state of the vehicle, sets the cover portion to the mirror state or the transparent state.

3. The aforementioned vehicle status information is a reverse status signal indicating the reverse state of the vehicle, The support device according to claim 2, wherein the state control unit, upon receiving the retracted state signal, sets the cover portion to the transparent state.

4. The support device according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle status information is a signal other than the forward setting signal, which indicates that the direction of travel of the vehicle has been set to the forward side, among the signals indicating the selected state of the shift range output from the vehicle's shift device.

5. The aforementioned vehicle status information is a rear setting signal indicating that the vehicle's direction of travel has been set to the rear. The support device according to claim 2, wherein the state control unit, upon receiving the rear setting signal, sets the cover portion to the transparent state.

6. A switching operation unit that receives a switching operation to switch the cover portion from one of the mirror state and the transparent state to the other, The support device according to claim 1, further comprising: a switching control unit that, when the switching operation unit receives the switching operation, switches the cover unit from one of the mirror state and the transparent state to the other.

7. The display unit is further connected to a rotation operation unit that accepts rotation operations, The support device according to claim 1, wherein when the rotation operation unit receives the rotation operation, the display unit rotates and the inclination angle of the display unit with respect to the cover unit is changed.

8. The support device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the captured image on the display surface while the cover unit is in the transparent state.

9. The support device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a flatbed truck.

10. An assist device provided in the interior of a vehicle equipped with an imaging device for imaging the area behind the vehicle, located in front of the driver's seat, to assist in checking the area behind the vehicle, A display unit that displays the image captured by the aforementioned imaging device on a display surface, A cover portion that covers the display surface of the display portion and is capable of being in a mirror state that reflects light or a transparent state that transmits light, A support device comprising: a state control unit that, upon receiving a reverse state signal indicating the vehicle is in a reverse state, or a rear setting signal indicating that the vehicle's direction of travel has been set to the rear, sets the cover portion to the transparent state, as vehicle state information indicating the state of the vehicle.

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