Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a control device which is capable of acquiring picture images excluding notification patterns in a vehicle comprising: a projection device which projects the notification patterns onto a road surface; and an imaging device.SOLUTION: A vehicle comprises: a projection device 20 (rear projector RP) which projects required notification patterns (CPs) in a vicinity region of an automobile CAR; and an imaging device 10 which includes a rear camera RC imaging the vicinity region of the automobile CAR. A control device 100 comprises image processing means 12 which acquires picture images with none of the notification patterns (CP) being imaged. The control device displays the acquired picture images on a monitor MO, or performs operation support on the basis of the acquired picture images.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that includes a projection device that projects a notification pattern to notify the behavior of a vehicle, such as an automobile, onto an area including a road surface near the vehicle, and an imaging device that obtains a desired image of the area. [Background technology]

[0002] For the purpose of ensuring traffic safety, vehicles have been proposed that are equipped with a projection device that projects a notification pattern onto the road surface to notify third parties such as pedestrians and other vehicles of the vehicle's behavior, such as whether it is moving or stopped, or the direction of travel. Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which a projection device such as a projector mounted on the vehicle projects a notification pattern consisting of a required design onto the road surface in front of or behind the vehicle. When third parties can see this notification pattern, they can recognize the behavior of the vehicle and avoid contact with it before it happens.

[0003] On the other hand, a technology has also been proposed in which an image of the surroundings of a vehicle captured by an imaging device is displayed on a monitor so that the driver can visually confirm the image, thereby ensuring traffic safety. Patent Document 2 proposes an image processing technology that processes captured images to obtain a desired image. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-55519 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-219816 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In automobiles equipped with the above-mentioned projection devices and imaging devices for traffic safety, the warning pattern projected onto the road surface may be captured in the captured image. As a result, the projected warning pattern and various lines drawn (painted) on the road surface, such as parking lines, are simultaneously displayed on the monitor, and when the driver looks at the monitor, the driver may mistakenly recognize the warning pattern as a parking line.

[0006] For example, if a car is parking while backing up, and an alarm pattern is captured in the captured image, the driver may mistake the alarm pattern for parking lines painted on the road surface, and may not be able to move the car to the correct position and park.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that makes it possible to obtain a desired image without the warning pattern being captured when capturing an image of a nearby area in a vehicle equipped with a projection device that projects a warning pattern onto the road surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a control device for a vehicle equipped with a projection device that projects a required warning pattern into the area near the vehicle and an imaging device that images the area near the vehicle, which acquires an image from the captured image with the warning pattern removed, and which stores the projected warning pattern in a memory means and includes image processing means that removes the warning pattern stored in the memory means from the captured image.

[0009] In the present invention, the image processing means captures an image of a previously projected notification pattern as an initial setting and stores it in the storage means as a notification pattern. Alternatively, the image processing means takes the difference between a first image captured without projecting a notification pattern and a second image captured with the notification pattern projected, and stores the image of this difference in the storage means as a notification pattern. do.

[0010] In the present invention, for example, the projection device includes a projector that projects a warning pattern onto an area near the vehicle, the imaging device includes a camera that images the area near the vehicle, the camera images the warning pattern and a reference line drawn in the area near the vehicle, and the image processing means acquires an image from which the warning pattern has been removed. In this case, the projection device projects the warning pattern onto an area behind the vehicle, the imaging device images a parking lot present in the area behind the vehicle, and the reference line is a parking line that indicates the parking position in the parking lot.

[0011] The present invention preferably further comprises a monitor for displaying the image acquired by the image processing means, and the monitor displays guidelines for guiding the driver in the movement of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, in a vehicle equipped with a projection device that projects a warning pattern, even if an area including the warning pattern is imaged with an imaging device, a desired image excluding the warning pattern can be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle equipped with a control device of the present invention, as viewed from the rear. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram including a control device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a rear projector, and FIG. 1B is an optical diagram showing the projection state of a notification pattern. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing projection forms of notification patterns; [Figure 5] (a) Schematic plan view and (b) monitor display image when parking a car. [Figure 6] Flow diagram of control form 1. [Figure 7] Timing diagram of control mode 1. [Figure 8] Monitor display image for control mode 1. [Figure 9] Flow diagram of control form 2. [Figure 10] Image captured or monitor display image in control mode 2. [Figure 11] Flow diagram of control form 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an automobile CAR equipped with a control device of the present invention, as seen from the rear. Rear combination lamps RCL are provided on the left and right sides of the rear body of the automobile CAR. A rear projector RP is integrally provided on one of these rear combination lamps RCL, in this case the left combination lamp. This rear projector RP, details of which will be described later, is configured as part of a projection device that, when activated, projects a required graphic or linear notification pattern CP onto the road surface behind the automobile CAR.

[0015] A rear camera (back camera) RC is provided in a portion of the trunk lid at the rear of the vehicle body of the automobile CAR, and captures an image of the area behind the automobile CAR, particularly an area A including the road surface behind the automobile CAR. This rear camera RC may be provided above the license plate or above the rear window inside the automobile CAR. A monitor MO is provided on the dashboard inside the automobile CAR in a position facing the driver's seat, so that the driver can view the image displayed on the monitor screen. This monitor MO is connected to a vehicle ECU (electronic control unit) 100, which constitutes the control device of the present invention. Sensors (not shown) that detect the operating states of the steering device HA and the shift lever SL of the automobile CAR are connected to the vehicle ECU 100. The rear camera RC, monitor MO, and sensor are configured as part of a driving assistance device 10, as will be described later.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram, and components corresponding to those shown in FIG. 1 are assigned the same reference numerals. The control device is configured with the vehicle ECU 100, and includes an imaging device 10 and a projection device 20. Note that instead of the vehicle ECU 100, a lamp ECU (an ECU that comprehensively controls a lamp that integrates a camera, projection device, and lamp unit) provided in a lamp, or a rear zone integrated ECU (an ECU that comprehensively controls electronic devices such as rear lamps, sensors, and wipers) provided in the vehicle body may be used. The vehicle ECU 100 receives an image signal from the rear camera RC and also receives driving information indicating the driving state of the vehicle. The driving information includes steering information indicating the traveling direction (reverse direction) from the steering device HA and reverse information from the shift lever SL operated by the driver when the vehicle is reversed. The reverse information from the shift lever SL is also input to the projection device 20.

[0017] The projection device 20 includes a projector control unit 21. The projector control unit 21 controls the rear projector RP based on input reverse information, and projects a warning pattern CP onto the rear road surface when the automobile CAR reverses.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3A, the rear projector RP incorporates a light source 31, a pattern mask 32, and a projection lens 33 in a housing 30. The light source 31 includes three LEDs (light-emitting diodes) 311 to 313 mounted on a light source substrate 310, each of which emits white light from top to bottom. These LEDs are referred to as the first LED 311 to the third LED 313, starting from the top. The pattern mask 32 includes a non-transparent substrate 320 on which three rectangular translucent windows 321 to 323, each having a different side length, are formed corresponding to the LEDs 311 to 313. These windows 321 to 323 may be fitted with, for example, a milky white plate that diffuses and transmits light. The pattern mask 32 is positioned behind the focal point of the projection lens 33 and at a required tilt angle with respect to the optical axis Lx. If no tilt angle is provided, the projection length increases as the projection position becomes farther away, so the lengths of the sides of the first to third light-transmitting windows 321 to 323 may be equal.

[0019] 3(b), when the first LED 311 to the third LED 313 emit light, the rear projector RP projects real images of the first to third light-transmitting windows 321 to 323 of the pattern mask 32 in a focused state onto the road surface behind the vehicle as the first to third patterns CP1 to CP3. As shown in FIG. 1, the notification pattern CP is projected by these first to third patterns CP1 to CP3.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 4, when the first LED 311 is illuminated, a first pattern CP1 is projected by the first light-transmitting window 321 at the closest position to the rear of the vehicle as shown in Fig. 4(a). Next, when the second LED 312 is illuminated, a second pattern CP is projected by the second light-transmitting window 322 at a position behind the first pattern CP1 as shown in Fig. 4(b). Furthermore, when the third LED 313 is illuminated, a third pattern CP3 is projected by the third light-transmitting window 323 at a position behind the second pattern CP2 as shown in Fig. 4(c).

[0021] 2, the projection device 20 includes a timing unit 22, and the projector control unit 21 receives a timing signal from the timing unit 22 and controls the light emission timing of the light source 31 of the rear projector RP, i.e., the light emission timing of the first LED 311 to the third LED 313, simultaneously or individually. Therefore, when the first LED 311 to the third LED 313 are simultaneously illuminated, the notification patterns CP (CP1 to CP3) of FIG. 4(c) are projected in unison. Furthermore, when the first LED 311 to the third LED 313 are illuminated in this order, the first pattern CP1 to the third pattern CP3 are projected in order, thereby projecting a so-called sequential pattern.

[0022] Furthermore, the projector control unit 21 is capable of controlling the emission of light from the first LED 311 to the third LED 313 intermittently at a required cycle through control based on the timing unit 22. That is, the projection of each of the notification patterns CP shown in Figures 4(a) to 4(c) is controlled intermittently at a required cycle. This cycle is such that the non-projection state of the notification pattern CP cannot be recognized due to the afterimage effect of the human eye, and the notification pattern CP appears to be continuously projected when viewed by a human.

[0023] In this way, when the rear projector RP projects the warning pattern CP onto the road surface in the vicinity of the vehicle, third parties, i.e., pedestrians outside the vehicle CAR or occupants of other vehicles, can see this warning pattern CP and recognize that the vehicle CAR is moving in the direction of the warning pattern CP, in this case the vehicle is reversing, thereby enabling communication between the vehicle and third parties and ensuring traffic safety.

[0024] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the imaging device 10 includes a monitor control unit 11, an image processing unit 12, and a storage unit 13. The image processing unit 12 performs image processing to acquire an image to be displayed on the monitor MO from an image signal captured by the rear camera RC. The image processing unit 12 is also capable of extracting the entire acquired image or a portion of the image and storing these in the storage unit 13. In particular, it is possible to extract an image of the notification pattern CP projected by the rear projector RP from the captured image. Since various image processing methods have already been proposed for these image processing and image extraction methods, detailed explanations will be omitted here.

[0025] The monitor control unit 11 controls the image displayed on the monitor MO. For example, when reverse information is input from the shift lever SL in a situation where the automobile CAR is parking while reversing as shown in Fig. 5(a), the monitor control unit 11 is basically capable of displaying on the monitor MO an image captured by the rear camera RC, i.e., an image of the area including the road surface behind the automobile CAR as shown in Fig. 5(b). This image includes an image of a parking line PL as a reference line drawn (painted) on the road surface to guide the driver to a suitable parking position, and an image of a notification pattern CP projected by the rear projector RP.

[0026] Furthermore, for driving assistance, the monitor control unit 11 is also capable of calculating the reverse direction of the automobile CAR from the steering information of the steering device HA and displaying a guide pattern, such as a guide line GL, indicating the direction in which the automobile will reverse on the monitor MO.

[0027] In this way, when the monitor control unit 11 displays the guideline GL on the monitor MO together with an image including the road surface behind the vehicle, the driver can easily back up the vehicle to a preferred parking position by operating the steering wheel while viewing the image on the monitor MO so that the displayed guideline GL aligns with the parking line PL or so that the guideline GL enters the area sandwiched between the parking lines PL.

[0028] The monitor control unit 11 may be connected to an automatic driving device (not shown in Fig. 2) and the position information of the parking line PL displayed on the monitor MO may be transmitted to the automatic driving device. In this way, the automatic driving device may control the steering of the vehicle based on the position information of the parking line PL, and perform automatic driving control to guide the vehicle to a desirable parking position.

[0029] Incidentally, as shown in Fig. 5(a), when the rear projector RP projects linear warning patterns (first to third patterns) CP onto the road surface behind the vehicle while the vehicle is backing up, the warning patterns CP captured by the rear camera RC are also simultaneously displayed on the monitor MO as shown in Fig. 5(b). That is, the linear parking line PL and a similar linear warning pattern CP are simultaneously displayed. When such a display is performed, the driver may confuse the warning pattern CP with the parking line PL, mistakenly recognize the warning pattern CP as the parking line PL, and steer the steering wheel to align the guide line GL with the warning pattern CP.

[0030] Furthermore, in the automatic driving control, when the monitor control unit 11 sends the position information of the parking line PL and the notification pattern CP, the parking line PL and the notification pattern CP are confused, making it difficult to output the accurate position information of the parking line PL. As a result, the automatic driving device is unable to automatically guide the vehicle to a parking position based on accurate recognition of the parking line PL.

[0031] To address this issue, the driving assistance system solves the driving assistance problem caused by misidentifying the notification pattern CP with the parking line PL in the monitor control unit 11. As control modes for solving this issue, the following control modes 1 to 3 are conceivable, for example.

[0032] (Control mode 1) FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of control form 1, and FIG. 7 is a timing diagram thereof. The projector control unit 21 of the projection device 20 controls the rear projector RP to project the notification pattern CP (S11). For example, the first pattern CP1 to the third pattern CP3 are simultaneously projected. During this projection, the patterns are projected intermittently at a required cycle, as shown in FIG. 7(a), based on a timing signal from the timing unit 22. This cycle is such that the non-projection state of the notification pattern CP cannot be recognized due to the afterimage effect of the human eye, as described above. This allows a third party to visually recognize the notification pattern CP as if it were being projected continuously, ensuring safety.

[0033] Meanwhile, the imaging device 10 captures images using the rear camera RC (S12). In this example, as shown in FIG. 7(b), continuous imaging is performed over time. Then, the image processing unit 12 performs image processing on the obtained imaging signal (S13). In this image processing, image processing is performed in synchronization with the projection timing of the notification pattern CP based on the timing signal from the timing unit 22. That is, as shown in FIG. 7(c), the image processing unit 12 performs processing to remove images (frames) captured when the notification pattern CP is projected. This results in images captured when the notification pattern CP is not projected.

[0034] In this way, even if the rear camera RC continuously captures images, the images processed by the image processing unit 12 are images taken at times when the notification pattern CP is not projected by the rear projector RP. The monitor control unit displays the images obtained by this processing on the monitor (S14). Therefore, the images displayed on the monitor MO are images that do not include the notification pattern CP.

[0035] Incidentally, Fig. 8(a) is an image captured when the notification pattern CP is projected, and Fig. 8(b) is an image captured when the notification pattern CP is not projected. Therefore, when the monitor control unit 11 displays the guideline GL in addition to the image of Fig. 8(b), the monitor MO displays the image of the parking line PL from which the notification pattern CP has been removed together with the guideline GL, as shown in Fig. 8(c). Therefore, a driver who views the monitor MO will not mistakenly recognize the notification pattern CP as the parking line PL, and the driver can operate the steering wheel to correctly align the guideline GL with the parking line PL, thereby driving the vehicle into a suitable parking position.

[0036] In this control form 1, although not shown in the drawings, the imaging timing of the rear camera RC may be controlled in the imaging device 10. In this case, imaging is performed at a timing different from the timing at which the notification pattern CP shown in FIG. 7(a) is projected, i.e., the timing shown in FIG. 7(c). Therefore, the notification pattern CP is not projected during imaging, and the notification pattern is not captured in the captured image. In this form, the processing in the image processing unit 12 can be simplified or omitted.

[0037] In the first control mode, the first through third patterns CP1 through CP3 of the notification pattern CP are simultaneously projected. However, as described above, sequential projection, in which the first through third patterns CP1 through CP3 are sequentially projected, can also be controlled in a similar manner. That is, image processing can be performed to remove images captured when at least one of the first, second, and third patterns CP1, CP3 is projected. Alternatively, image capture can be performed when at least one of the first, second, and third patterns CP1, CP3 is not projected. Even in this case, the sequentially projected notification patterns CP are not displayed on the monitor MO, preventing driver misunderstanding and enabling appropriate driving assistance. However, in the first control mode, it is not necessarily easy to control the image capture timing and image acquisition timing of the image capture device 10. Therefore, the present invention employs the following control modes 2 and 3.

[0038] (Control mode 2) FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of control mode 2, and FIG. 10 shows a captured image or a monitor image. First, initial setup is performed. In this initial setup, the projector control unit 21 controls the rear projector RP at a location where at least parking lines are not drawn on the road surface, and projects a notification pattern CP onto the road surface (S21). Next, the imaging device 10 captures an image with the rear camera RC (S22). The captured image includes the projected notification pattern CP, as shown in FIG. 10(a). The image processing unit 12 then detects the captured image of the notification pattern CP (S23) and stores the image of the notification pattern CP in the memory unit 13 (S24). This initial setup is performed by the automobile manufacturer or dealer. Alternatively, it may be performed before the user starts driving the automobile.

[0039] When a vehicle that has undergone initial settings is reversed into a parking space, an image is captured by the rear camera RC (S25). At this time, a warning pattern is also projected by the rear projector RP (S26). The image captured here is, for example, the image shown in FIG. 10(b), and includes the warning pattern CP and the parking line PL.

[0040] Next, the image processing unit 12 reads out the image of the notification pattern stored in the storage unit 13 by initial setting (S27). Then, image processing is performed to remove the read-out notification pattern image CP from the currently captured image (S28), thereby obtaining an image from which the notification pattern image CP has been removed. Then, under the control of the monitor control unit 21, the processed image is displayed on the monitor MO (S28). Therefore, the displayed image is an image from which the notification pattern CP has been removed, as shown in FIG. 10(c).

[0041] Here, the position and shape of the image captured by the rear camera RC during parking changes as the vehicle backs up, but the notification pattern CP projected onto the road surface remains constant relative to the rear camera RC. Therefore, the notification pattern CP stored in the memory unit 13 by initial setting is an image with a fixed position and shape within the captured image, and does not change even as the vehicle backs up. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an image from which only the notification pattern CP has been removed. The monitor control unit 11 displays this image on the monitor MO as shown in FIG. 10(d), and at the same time, displays a guideline GL for driving assistance on the monitor MO as in control mode 1 (S29). As described above, the display position of this guideline GL on the monitor MO changes in accordance with changes in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0042] In this way, the monitor MO displays an image with the notification pattern CP removed, in this case only the parking lines PL and guide lines GL, so that the driver looking at the monitor MO will not mistakenly recognize the notification pattern CP as the parking lines PL. The driver can drive the car into an optimal parking position by operating the steering wheel to correctly align the guide lines GL displayed on the monitor MO with the parking lines PL.

[0043] Control form 2 can also be performed in the case where the notification pattern CP is projected sequentially. For example, during initial setup, a video is captured when the first pattern CP1 to the third pattern CP3 are projected in sequence, and this video is stored in the storage unit 13 as an image of the notification pattern CP. The image processing unit 12 executes image processing to remove the image of the notification pattern CP stored in the storage unit 13 from the video captured by the rear camera RC. As a result, an image from which the sequentially projected notification pattern CP has been removed is displayed on the monitor MO. Note that when the notification pattern CP is removed, the timing signal from the timing unit 22 can be referenced to recognize the projection timing of the notification pattern CP, and the notification pattern CP can be removed in synchronization with this projection timing.

[0044] In the initial setting steps S21 to S23, for example, a first image captured without projecting the notification pattern and a second image captured with the notification pattern projected may be acquired, and the image of the notification pattern may be acquired by detecting the difference between the first and second images. Furthermore, during this initial setting, the dimensions of the projected notification pattern, such as its length, may be stored. At this time, the shape of the notification pattern, which changes depending on the inclination or unevenness of the road surface onto which the notification pattern is projected, may also be stored, thereby improving accuracy.

[0045] (Control mode 3) FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of control mode 3, which can be considered a variation of control mode 2. In control mode 3, the initial settings performed in control mode 2 are not performed. When driving a car and actually backing into a parking lot, a notification pattern CP is projected by the rear projector RP (S31). At the same time, an image is captured by the rear camera RC (S32). This captured front image (first image) includes an image of the parking lot road surface, i.e., the parking line PL, as well as the projected notification pattern CP. In other words, it is an image like that shown in FIG. 8(a).

[0046] The image processing unit 12 stores this front image in the memory unit 13 (S33). Then, after a very short time as the vehicle backs up, another image is captured, and the resulting rear image (second image) is further stored in the memory unit 13 (S34). The image processing unit 12 then compares the stored front image and rear image with each other, and extracts images that match between the two images (S35). As explained in the control form 2, the position and shape of the image of the parking line PL captured by the rear camera RC change as the vehicle backs up, but the image of the projected notification pattern CP does not change even as the vehicle backs up. Therefore, when the front image and rear image are compared, an image that matches between the two images becomes the notification pattern CP.

[0047] The image processing unit 12 performs image processing to remove this extracted image, i.e., the image of the notification pattern CP, from the rear image, and acquires the image after this removal processing (S36). This image is similar to the image shown in Figure 8(b), and includes the parking line PL but not the notification pattern CP. The monitor control unit 11 displays this acquired image on the monitor MO (S37), and also displays the driving support guide line GL on the monitor MO, as shown in Figure 8(c) (S38).

[0048] This control is repeated at required time intervals as the vehicle moves backward. During this repetition, the last image stored becomes the rear image, and the image stored immediately before that becomes the front image. As a result, the monitor MO displays images of the rear of the vehicle that change sequentially as the vehicle moves backward, and also displays the guidelines GL that change as the vehicle is steered when backing up, but the warning pattern CP is not displayed. Therefore, the driver who views the monitor MO can operate the steering wheel to properly align the guidelines GL with the parking lines PL without mistaking them for the parking lines PL, and can drive the vehicle into a suitable parking position.

[0049] In this control mode 3, when the notification pattern CP is projected sequentially, the shape of the notification pattern CP in the front image and the rear image may change over time. In this case, similar to control mode 2, a method may be adopted in which the change in the shape of the notification pattern CP over time is predicted by referring to the timing signal of the timing unit 22, and then the front image and the rear image are compared.

[0050] Compared to control form 2, control form 3 does not require initial settings to be prepared for removing the notification pattern CP. Also, it can appropriately handle cases where the mounting position of the rear projector RP relative to the vehicle body is changed for some reason, causing the projection position of the notification pattern CP relative to the vehicle to be changed from its initial position, i.e., cases where the image of the notification pattern CP projected on the image is changed from its initial state.

[0051] In the above control forms 1 to 3, an image captured by a rear camera is displayed on a monitor and the driver steers backward while looking at the monitor. However, the present invention can also be applied to driving assistance in which automatic driving control is performed based on an image captured by a rear camera and processed in an image processing unit as described above. In other words, by using the parking line information correctly recognized in control forms 1 to 3, the problem of the automatic driving device being unable to recognize the notification pattern as a parking line and guide the vehicle to a suitable parking position can be solved.

[0052] Although the above description has been given of driving assistance when backing a vehicle into a parking lot, the present invention can also be applied to cases where a warning pattern is projected onto the road surface in an area in front of or to the side of the vehicle, and driving assistance is performed based on reference lines captured in an image of this area. For example, when a vehicle is traveling forward and parallel lines are displayed on the left and right as a warning pattern to indicate the vehicle's width, the lines may be confused with lanes indicating lane divisions on the road. Alternatively, when a warning pattern is displayed when a vehicle starts from a stopped state or when the vehicle changes direction left or right, the lines may be confused with various lines drawn on the road surface in the nearby area.

[0053] In the present invention, the projected notification pattern is not limited to the pattern shape described in the embodiment as long as it is a shape that may be confused with a parking line. Alternatively, the present invention can be applied to cases where driving assistance is performed using reference lines drawn on the road surface and there is a risk that this drawn pattern may be confused with the projected notification pattern. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10. Imaging device 11 Monitor control section 12 Image processing unit (image processing means) 13 Storage unit (storage means) 20 Projection device 21 Projector control unit 22 Timing section 100 Vehicle ECU (control unit) RC rear camera (imaging device) RP rear projector (projection device) MO Monitor HA Handle Device SL shift lever

Claims

1. A control device for a vehicle equipped with a projection device that projects a required warning pattern into the area near the vehicle and an imaging device that images the area near the vehicle, which acquires an image from which the warning pattern has been removed, stores the projected warning pattern in a memory means, and is equipped with an image processing means that removes the warning pattern stored in the memory means from the captured image, and the image processing means stores an image of a warning pattern that has been projected in advance as an initial setting in the memory means as the warning pattern.

2. A control device for a vehicle equipped with a projection device that projects a required warning pattern into the area near the vehicle and an imaging device that images the area near the vehicle, which acquires an image with the warning pattern removed from the captured image, stores the projected warning pattern in a memory means, and is equipped with an image processing means that removes the warning pattern stored in the memory means from the captured image, and the image processing means takes the difference between a first image captured without projecting the warning pattern and a second image captured with the warning pattern projected, and stores this difference image in the memory means as the warning pattern.

3. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the projection device includes a projector that projects a warning pattern into the area near the vehicle, the imaging device includes a camera that images the area near the vehicle, the camera images the warning pattern and a reference line drawn in the area near the vehicle, and the image processing means acquires an image from which the warning pattern has been removed.

4. 4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein the projection device projects a warning pattern onto the area behind the vehicle, the imaging device captures an image of a parking lot located in the area behind the vehicle, and the reference line is a parking line indicating the parking position in the parking lot.

5. 5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein the notification pattern is a linear pattern, and the parking line is a straight line.

6. 6. A vehicle control device according to claim 3, further comprising a monitor for displaying the image acquired by said image processing means, said monitor displaying guidelines for guiding the driver to move the vehicle.

Images