Driver assistance device and control method for driver assistance device
A single imaging and display device with adjustable field of view and mode switching addresses the need for multiple devices in existing systems, enhancing convenience and reducing visual discomfort by integrating rear and infotainment views.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NISSAN MOTOR CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2022-12-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-23
AI Technical Summary
Existing driving support devices require multiple imaging and display devices to capture and display images of different areas behind the vehicle, leading to an increased number of components.
A single imaging device with adjustable field of view and a single display device that switches modes based on the vehicle's shift position, allowing it to capture and display images of both close and distant rear areas, as well as infotainment information, using a control unit to manage the display and field of view.
Reduces the number of imaging and display devices required, providing seamless switching between modes to minimize user inconvenience and visual discomfort by using a single device for multiple views.
Smart Images
Figure 0007878453000001 
Figure 0007878453000002 
Figure 0007878453000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a driving support device and a control method for the driving support device.
Background Art
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a driving support device that supports driving of a vehicle by mounting imaging devices on the left side, right side, and rear of the vehicle and arranging and displaying images captured by the respective imaging devices on a display device in the vehicle interior. In the driving support device described in Patent Document 1, a control unit changes a display mode for one or both of the images captured by the left and right imaging devices.
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 driving support device that supports driving of a vehicle by displaying an image of a rear area of the vehicle on a display device in the vehicle interior, conventionally, an image behind the vehicle in the straight-ahead direction displayed when the vehicle is moving straight and an image immediately behind the vehicle displayed when the vehicle is reversing are captured using different imaging devices. Also, in such a driving support device, images captured by different imaging devices are displayed on different display devices. Therefore, the number of required imaging devices and display devices was large.
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a driving support device and a control method for the driving support device that can reduce the number of imaging devices and display devices.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] A driving assistance device according to one aspect of the present invention is a driving assistance device mounted on a vehicle and capable of imaging an area in the rear area of the vehicle that includes a first area which is an area close to the vehicle and a second area which is an area further from the vehicle than the first area; an image display device arranged in the passenger compartment of the vehicle and displaying images acquired from the imaging device; and a control unit, wherein the control unit displays images of the first area and the second area on the image display device when the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position. [Effects of the Invention]
[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, the number of imaging devices and display devices can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driver assistance device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the field of view of the imaging range captured by the imaging device when the vehicle's shift position is in the forward position. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a screen displayed on a video display device when the vehicle's shift position is in the forward position. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the field of view of the imaging range captured by the imaging device when the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a screen displayed on a video display device when the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.
[0010] Referring to Figure 1, an example of the configuration of the driver assistance device 100 according to this embodiment will be described. The driver assistance device 100 is mounted on a vehicle. The driver assistance device 100 includes a rear camera 10, a display 20, a control device 30, a shift lever switch 40, and an in-vehicle device 50.
[0011] The rear camera 10 has an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The rear camera 10 is mounted at the rear of the vehicle. The installation location of the rear camera 10 is not particularly limited, but as an example, the rear camera 10 is installed near the rear license plate of the vehicle. The rear camera 10 is configured to capture an area in the rear area of the vehicle that includes a first area, which is the area close to the vehicle, and a second area, which is the area further from the vehicle than the first area. The first area may include the area immediately behind the vehicle that must be visible when the vehicle is reversing, as stipulated in Regulation No. 158 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN / ECE) concerning vehicles that look directly behind the vehicle when reversing. The second area may include the area that must be visible by a rearview mirror, as stipulated in Regulation No. 46 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe concerning rearview mirrors. Note that the first area and the second area may partially overlap.
[0012] The rear camera 10 includes an actuator 11 and a lens 12. The actuator 11 changes the field of view of the rear camera 10's imaging range by raising and lowering the lens 12. In other words, the field of view of the rear camera 10's imaging range is variable. The actuator 11 switches the field of view of the rear camera 10's imaging range to a wide angle by lowering the lens 12. The actuator 11 is controlled by a control device 30. Details of the relationship between the control of the actuator 11 by the control device 30 and the field of view of the rear camera 10 will be described later with reference to Figures 2 and 4.
[0013] The image data captured by the rear camera 10 is output to the control device 30. Alternatively, the image data captured by the rear camera 10 may be stored in a storage device (not shown), and the control device 30 may refer to the image data stored in the storage device.
[0014] The display 20 is located inside the vehicle and displays images acquired from the rear camera 10. The display 20 is composed of an LCD television monitor or the like. The installation location of the display 20 is not particularly limited, but as an example, the display 20 is installed near the center of the dashboard inside the vehicle. Alternatively, the display 20 may be installed near the upper center of the front windshield in place of the rearview mirror. The display 20 is controlled by the control device 30. Details of the relationship between the control of the display 20 by the control device 30 and the images displayed on the display 20 will be described later with reference to Figures 3 and 5.
[0015] The control unit 30 is a general-purpose computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, input / output unit, etc. The control unit 30 is connected to the rear camera 10, display 20, shift lever switch 40, and in-vehicle equipment 50. The in-vehicle equipment 50 includes, for example, an IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) system, meters, air conditioning, etc. installed in the vehicle.
[0016] The control device 30 has computer programs installed to implement each function. By executing these computer programs, the control device 30 functions as one of the multiple information processing circuits it comprises.
[0017] Here, we show an example of realizing the multiple information processing circuits of the control device 30 using software. However, it is also possible to configure the information processing circuits by preparing dedicated hardware to perform each of the information processing operations shown below. Alternatively, the multiple information processing circuits may be configured using separate hardware.
[0018] The control device 30 includes, as a plurality of information processing circuits, a shift position determination unit 31, a display determination unit 32, an angle of view control unit 33, a video acquisition unit 34, a video generation unit 35, and a display control unit 36.
[0019] The video acquisition unit 34 acquires video data captured by the rear camera 10. The video generation unit 35 acquires information related to in-vehicle infotainment from the in-vehicle device 50, and generates video data for displaying the information related to in-vehicle infotainment on the display 20 based on the acquired information. For example, the video generation unit 35 may generate a navigation video for display on the display 20 based on the navigation information acquired from the IVI. Note that the type of video data generated by the video generation unit 35 is not particularly limited. The video generation unit 35 may generate not only video data but also image data.
[0020] The shift position determination unit 31 acquires information indicating the position of the shift position from the shift lever switch 40. The shift position determination unit 31 determines whether the shift position is in the forward position or the reverse position based on the acquired information indicating the position of the shift position. When the shift position is in any of the P range, N range, D range, or L range, the shift position determination unit 31 determines that the shift position is in the forward position. When the shift position is in the R range, the shift position determination unit 31 determines that the shift position is in the reverse position.
[0021] The display determination unit 32 determines the video to be displayed on the display 20 based on the position of the shift position of the vehicle. When the shift position is at least in the forward position excluding the reverse position, the display determination unit 32 determines that the display mode of the video is the first display mode. On the other hand, when the shift position of the vehicle is in the reverse position, the display determination unit 32 determines that the display mode of the video is the second display mode.
[0022] [First display mode] The operation of the control device 30 when the display determination unit 32 determines the video display mode to be the first display mode, and the relationship between the field of view of the rear camera 10 and the video displayed on the display 20, will be explained below with reference to Figures 2 and 3.
[0023] The field of view control unit 33 controls the actuator 11 of the rear camera 10 based on the video display mode. In the first display mode, the field of view control unit 33 controls the actuator 11 to raise the lens 12.
[0024] Figure 2 shows the field of view of the imaging range captured by the rear camera 10 in the first display mode. In Figure 2, the actuator 11 raises the lens 12. At this time, with the actuator 11 raising the lens 12, the rear camera 10 images region Ap, which includes the second region a2, within the rear area of the vehicle V. In the example shown in Figure 2, the second region a2 is the region where the vertical angle d2 is 15°. Thus, when the shift position of the vehicle V is in the forward position, the field of view control unit 33 controls the actuator 11 of the rear camera 10 so that the field of view of the rear camera 10 includes the second region a2.
[0025] The display control unit 36 displays the video data acquired by the video acquisition unit 34 on the display 20 based on the display mode. In the first display mode, the display control unit 36 extracts the video of the second region a2 from the video of region Ap captured by the rear camera 10. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the screen displayed on the display 20 in the first display mode. As shown in Figure 3, in the first display mode, the display control unit 36 displays the extracted video of the second region a2 in the upper range 22 of the display 20. In addition, in the first display mode, the display control unit 36 displays infotainment-related video in the remaining range of the display 20. That is, when the vehicle's shift position is at least a forward position excluding the reverse position, the display control unit 36 simultaneously displays the video of the second region a2 and infotainment-related information on the display 20.
[0026] With the above configuration, the driver assistance device 100 can display the image of the second region in the upper part of the display 20 when the vehicle's shift position is in the forward position, and display infotainment-related information in the remaining part of the display 20.
[0027] [Second display mode] Next, the operation of the control device 30 when the display determination unit 32 determines the video display mode to be the second display mode, and the relationship between the field of view of the rear camera 10 and the video displayed on the display 20, will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5.
[0028] In the second display mode, the field of view control unit 33 controls the actuator 11 to lower the lens 12.
[0029] Figure 4 shows the field of view of the imaging range captured by the rear camera 10 in the second display mode. In Figure 4, the actuator 11 lowers the lens 12. At this time, with the actuator 11 lowering the lens 12, the rear camera 10 images the region Ar, which includes the first region a1 and the second region a2 of the rear region of the vehicle V. In the example shown in Figure 4, the first region a1 is the region where the vertical angle d1 is 55°. As shown in Figure 4, the first region a1 is wider than the second region a2. lower side The second region a2 includes the region, and the second region a2 is located behind the first region a1. Thus, when the shift position of the vehicle V is in the reverse position, the field of view control unit 33 includes the first region in the field of view of the rear camera 10. a1 and the second area a2 The actuator 11 of the rear camera 10 is controlled so that it includes the following.
[0030] In the second display mode, the display control unit 36 extracts images of the first region a1 and the second region a2 from the image of region Ar captured by the rear camera 10. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the screen displayed on the display 20 in the second display mode. As shown in Figure 5, in the second display mode, the display control unit 36 displays the images of the first region a1 and the second region a2 across the entire area 21 of the display 20. In this way, in the second display mode, the display control unit 36 displays the images of the first region a1 and the second region a2 within the same screen provided by the display 20. That is, when the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position, the display control unit 36 displays the images of the first region a1 and the second region a2 on the display 20.
[0031] The display control unit 36, for example, the lower range of the range 21 In the enclosure The first region a1 is displayed, and the second region a2 is displayed in the upper range 22' of range 21. That is, the display control unit 36 displays the second region above the first region a1. a2 This will be displayed. Note that the first region a1 and the second region a2 are adjacent without any gaps.
[0032] The display control unit 36 displays the image of the second region a2 such that the position and magnification of the area 22 in which the image of the second region a2 is displayed in Figure 3 and the area 22' in which the second region a2 is displayed in Figure 5 are the same. In other words, the display position and magnification of the second region a2 are the same when the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position and when the vehicle's shift position is in the forward position.
[0033] With the above configuration, when the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position, the driver assistance device 100 can switch the field of view of the rear camera 10 to a wide angle and display images of the first and second regions on the display 20.
[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the field of view control unit 33 switches the field of view of the rear camera 10 based on the display mode, and the display control unit 36 extracts the images of the first and second regions from the image of the region captured by the rear camera 10. However, the field of view control unit 33 may control the field of view of the rear camera 10 so that the rear camera always captures an area including the first and second regions, and the display control unit 36 may perform the process of extracting the images of the first and second regions based on the display mode.
[0035] An example of the operation of the control device 30 of the driver assistance device 100 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 6. In step S1 of Figure 6, the shift position determination unit 31 acquires information indicating the position of the shift position from the shift lever switch 40, and determines whether the shift position is in the forward position or the reverse position based on the acquired information indicating the position of the shift position (shift position determination). The shift position determination unit 31 determines that the shift position is in the forward position if the shift position is in the P range, N range, D range or L range. The shift position determination unit 31 determines that the shift position is in the reverse position if the shift position is in the R range.
[0036] If the shift position determination unit 31 determines that the shift position is in the reverse position, the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, the display determination unit 32 determines that the display mode of the image is the second display mode. The field of view control unit 33 controls the actuator 11 to lower the lens 12. At this time, the rear camera 10 captures an image of the area including the first area and the second area with the actuator 11 lowering the lens 12. The display control unit 36 extracts the images of the first area and the second area from the image of the area captured by the rear camera 10. The display control unit 36 displays the extracted images of the first area and the second area on the display 20 and terminates the process shown in Figure 6.
[0037] On the other hand, if the shift position determination unit 31 determines that the shift position is in the forward position, the process proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the display determination unit 32 determines that the display mode of the video is the first display mode. The field of view control unit 33 controls the actuator 11 to raise the lens 12. At this time, the rear camera 10 captures an image of the area including the second area a2 with the actuator 11 raising the lens 12. The display control unit 36 extracts the image of the second area from the image of the area captured by the rear camera 10. The display control unit 36 simultaneously displays the extracted image of the second area and infotainment information on the display 20, and the process in Figure 6 is completed.
[0038] [Effects and Effects] As described above, the driver assistance device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an imaging device (rear camera 10) mounted on a vehicle that can image an area in the rear region of the vehicle that includes a first region which is the area near the vehicle and a second region which is the area further from the vehicle than the first region; an image display device (display 20) located inside the vehicle's cabin that displays images acquired from the imaging device; and a control unit (control device 30). When the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position, the control unit displays images of the first region and the second region on the image display device.
[0039] This allows a single imaging device and image display device to provide images of the first region directly behind the vehicle, which must be visible when the vehicle is reversing, and images of the second region, which must be visible by the rearview mirror, thereby reducing the number of imaging devices and image display devices required. When the vehicle is reversing, the driver can view images of the region directly behind the vehicle and images of the area further behind on the same image display device, reducing the inconvenience of having to check multiple image display devices.
[0040] Furthermore, in the driver assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit simultaneously displays images of the second region and infotainment information on the image display device when the vehicle's shift position is at least a forward position excluding the reverse position. This allows the images of the second region, which must be visible by the rearview mirror, and infotainment information to be provided by a single imaging device and image display device when the vehicle is moving forward, thereby reducing the number of imaging devices and image display devices. When the vehicle is moving forward, the driver can view images of the area behind the vehicle and other information they wish to see on the same image display device, reducing the inconvenience of having to check multiple image display devices.
[0041] Furthermore, in the driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position, the control unit extracts images of a first region and a second region from the image captured by the imaging device and displays the images of the first region and the second region on the image display device. The image of the first region immediately behind the vehicle, which must be visible when the vehicle is reversing, and the image of the second region, which must be visible by the rearview mirror, can be displayed on a single image display device, thereby reducing the number of image display devices.
[0042] Furthermore, in the driver assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the vehicle's shift position is at least a forward position excluding the reverse position, the control unit extracts a second region of image from the image captured by the imaging device and simultaneously displays the second region of image and infotainment-related information on the image display device. This makes it possible to display the second region of image, which must be visible by the rearview mirror when the vehicle is moving forward, and the infotainment-related information on a single image display device, thereby reducing the number of image display devices.
[0043] Furthermore, in the driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit controls the imaging device so that the field of view of the imaging device includes the first region and the second region when the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position. The control unit also controls the imaging device so that the field of view of the imaging device includes the second region when the vehicle's shift position is in at least a forward position other than the reverse position. As a result, the image of the first region immediately behind the vehicle, which must be visible when the vehicle is reversing, and the image of the second region, which must be visible by the rearview mirror, can be captured by a single imaging device, thereby reducing the number of imaging devices required.
[0044] Furthermore, in the driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit displays the first region and the second region within the same screen provided by the video display device. The control unit also displays the second region above the first region. Since the second region includes a region above the first region, displaying the image of the second region above can reduce the user's visual discomfort.
[0045] Furthermore, in the driver assistance device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the display position and magnification of the second region are the same whether the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position or in the forward position. As a result, the display position and magnification of the second region do not change even when the vehicle's shift position switches between the reverse and forward positions, thereby reducing the user's visual discomfort.
[0046] Furthermore, in the driving assistance device according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first region and the second region are adjacent without any gaps. This reduces the visual discomfort experienced by the user when displaying images of the first region and the second region. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0047] 10. Rear camera (imaging device) 20. Display (Image Display Device) 30 Control device (control unit) 100 Driving support devices a1 1st area a2 Second Domain V car liang
Claims
1. An imaging device mounted on a vehicle, capable of imaging a region in the rear area of the vehicle that includes a first region which is the area near the vehicle and a second region which is the area further from the vehicle than the first region, An image display device is placed inside the vehicle and displays images acquired from the imaging device, Control unit and A driver assistance device equipped with, When the vehicle's shift position is in the forward position, the control unit displays the image of the second region in the upper part of the same screen provided by the image display device, and displays the infotainment-related image in the remaining part of the screen. When the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position, the image of the second region is displayed in the upper part of the screen, and the image of the first region is displayed in the lower part of the screen. Driving assistance system.
2. The control unit, When the shift position of the vehicle is in the reverse position, From the image captured by the imaging device, the images of the first region and the second region are extracted. The driving support device according to claim 1, which displays images of the first region and the second region on the image display device.
3. The control unit, When the shift position of the vehicle is the forward position, From the image captured by the imaging device, the image of the second region is extracted, The video from the second region and the video related to the infotainment are displayed on the video display device. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2.
4. The control unit, When the shift position of the vehicle is in the reverse position, Control the imaging device so that the field of view of the imaging device includes the first region and the second region. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2.
5. The control unit, When the shift position of the vehicle is the forward position, Control the imaging device so that the second region is included in the field of view of the imaging device. The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2.
6. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display position and magnification of the second region are the same when the shift position of the vehicle is the reverse position and when the shift position of the vehicle is the forward position.
7. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit displays the image of the first region and the image of the second region on the screen such that the first region and the second region are adjacent to each other without any gaps when the shift position of the vehicle is the reverse position.
8. An imaging device mounted on a vehicle, capable of imaging a region in the rear area of the vehicle that includes a first region which is the area near the vehicle and a second region which is the area further from the vehicle than the first region, An image display device is placed inside the vehicle and displays images acquired from the imaging device, Control unit and A control method for a driver assistance system comprising: When the vehicle's shift position is in the forward position, the video of the second region is displayed in the upper part of the same screen provided by the video display device, and the video related to infotainment is displayed in the remaining part of the screen. When the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse position, the image of the second region is displayed in the upper part of the screen, and the image of the first region is displayed in the lower part of the screen. A control method for driver assistance systems.
9. When the shift position of the vehicle is in the reverse position, From the image captured by the imaging device, the images of the first region and the second region are extracted. The images of the first and second regions are displayed on the image display device. A control method for the driving assistance device according to claim 8.
10. When the shift position of the vehicle is the forward position, From the image captured by the imaging device, the image of the second region is extracted, The video from the second region and the video related to the infotainment are displayed on the video display device. A control method for a driving assistance device according to claim 8 or 9.