Rear-view mirror and image display method of rear-view mirror

Abstract

The present invention provides a rear-view mirror and an image display method of a rear-view mirror. The rear-view mirror according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention captures an image by using a camera, detects a person by using a LiDAR sensor in a favorable weather situation, and detects an object by using a radar sensor in an adverse weather situation. In addition, the rear-view mirror may match a person or object detected in the image with the person or object detected by using the sensors on the basis of the locations thereof and, when displaying the image on a display of the rear-view mirror, display additional information obtained using the sensors for the corresponding person or object, thereby enabling the driver to more clearly identify an object included in the image and obtain additional information such as the distance to a person or object, so as to contribute to safe driving.

Description

Rear-view mirror and rear-view mirror image display method

[0001] The present invention relates to a rear-view mirror and a method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror, and more specifically, to a rear-view mirror and a method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror that displays an object behind the driver so that the driver can intuitively recognize it.

[0002] Recently released vehicles are equipped with convenience features that provide drivers with useful information regarding driving. One of these is the digital rear-view mirror. Conventional rear-view mirrors simply performed the function of displaying the rear view seen through the vehicle's rear window to the driver via a mirror. However, these conventional rear-view mirrors have the disadvantage of failing to function properly when the rear window is heavily dusty or covered in snow.

[0003] To overcome these problems, digital rear-view mirrors have been developed and are being supplied. Digital rear-view mirrors install a camera at the rear of the vehicle and capture the rear view of the vehicle through the camera, displaying it to the driver, thereby enabling the driver to check the situation behind the vehicle.

[0004] However, since these conventional rear-view mirrors merely display objects behind the vehicle exactly as they are captured, it is difficult for a driver to accurately recognize the presence of an object when looking at the rear-view mirror for a short period while driving, and even if the presence of an object is recognized, it is difficult to identify the type of object. In particular, this phenomenon causes even more inconvenience to the driver in adverse weather conditions, such as rain or fog.

[0005] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a rear-view mirror and a method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror that, while a vehicle is in operation, uses a camera included in the rear-view mirror to photograph the rear, and outputs the captured image so that the driver can more clearly identify objects included in the image and obtain additional information about the objects.

[0006] A rear-view mirror according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem comprises: a camera module including a rear camera that captures the rear of a vehicle and outputs a rear image; a display that outputs an image; a mirror module installed in front of the display and adjusting transmittance and reflectance according to a control signal; a first detection sensor that detects the rear of the vehicle; and a circuit unit including a processor and a memory. The processor checks a display mode set by a user, activates the rear camera when the display mode is a display mode, displays the rear image input from the rear camera on the display with a normal field of view, checks whether a reverse gear is set using gear setting information received from a vehicle main controller, and when the reverse gear is set, obtains weather information and checks whether the weather information indicates a bad weather condition, and when it is not a bad weather condition, recognizes a person in the rear image, matches the recognized person with a person detected by the first detection sensor based on location, and displays additional information obtained from the first detection sensor together with the person included in the rear image.

[0007] In addition, a rear-view mirror according to another embodiment of the present invention further includes a second sensing sensor that detects the rear of a vehicle by emitting a signal different from that of the first sensing sensor, and the processor may recognize an object from the rear image in the event of bad weather conditions, match the recognized object with an object detected by the second sensing sensor based on location, and display additional information obtained from the second sensing sensor together with the object included in the rear image.

[0008] In addition, the first detection sensor is implemented as a Lidar sensor, and the processor receives shape information, location information, and distance information of an object from the first detection sensor, identifies a person using the shape information, and can match a person recognized from the rear image and a person identified using the first detection sensor based on the location information.

[0009] In addition, the second detection sensor is implemented as a radar sensor, and the processor receives location information and distance information of an object from the second detection sensor, and can match an object detected from the rear image with an object detected using the second detection sensor based on location information.

[0010] In addition, the processor displays distance information from the vehicle and an indicator representing the person or object as additional information for the recognized person or the detected object, and the indicator representing the person or object may display a frame or an icon around the person recognized in the rear image or the object detected in the rear image.

[0011] In addition, the processor receives navigation information from a navigation device installed in a vehicle and can determine whether there is bad weather using weather information included in the navigation information.

[0012] In addition, a rear-view mirror according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention further includes a position measuring device and a communication module, and the processor can request weather information while transmitting position information measured by the position measuring device to a weather information providing server through the communication module and receive weather information from the weather information providing server.

[0013] In addition, the processor can receive steering information of the vehicle from the vehicle main controller, divide the screen of the display according to the steering information, and enlarge a person or object in the steering direction and display it in the divided area of ​​the steering direction.

[0014] Meanwhile, a method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem comprises: a camera module including a rear camera that photographs the rear of a vehicle; a display that outputs an image; a mirror module installed in front of the display that adjusts transmittance and reflectance according to a control signal; a first detection sensor that detects the rear of the vehicle; and a circuit unit including a processor and a memory, wherein the method comprises: (a) a step in which the processor checks a display mode set by a user, and if the display mode is a display mode, activates the rear camera and displays a rear image input from the rear camera on the display with a normal field of view; (b) a step in which the processor checks whether a reverse gear is set using gear setting information received from a main controller of a vehicle, and if a reverse gear is set, obtains weather information and checks whether the weather information indicates an adverse weather condition; and (c) when there is no adverse weather condition, the processor recognizes a person in the rear image, matches the recognized person with a person detected by the first detection sensor based on location, and displays additional information obtained from the first detection sensor together with the person included in the rear image;

[0015] Additionally, a rear-view mirror according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention further includes a second sensing sensor that detects the rear of a vehicle by emitting a signal different from that of the first sensing sensor, and an image display method of a rear-view mirror according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention may further include the step of (d) in the case of adverse weather conditions, the processor recognizes an object from the rear image, matches the recognized object with an object detected by the second sensing sensor based on location, and displays additional information obtained from the second sensing sensor together with the object included in the rear image.

[0016] In addition, the first detection sensor is implemented as a Lidar sensor, and the processor receives shape information, location information, and distance information of an object from the first detection sensor, identifies a person using the shape information, and can match a person recognized from the rear image and a person identified using the first detection sensor based on the location information.

[0017] In addition, the second detection sensor is implemented as a radar sensor, and the processor receives location information and distance information of an object from the second detection sensor, and can match an object detected from the rear image with an object detected using the second detection sensor based on location information.

[0018] In addition, the processor displays distance information from the vehicle and an indicator representing the person or object as additional information for the recognized person or the detected object, and the indicator representing the person or object may display a frame or an icon around the person recognized in the rear image or the object detected in the rear image.

[0019] In addition, the processor receives navigation information from a navigation device installed in a vehicle and can determine whether there is bad weather using weather information included in the navigation information.

[0020] In addition, a rear-view mirror according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention further comprises a position measuring device and a communication module, and in a method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the processor requests weather information while transmitting position information measured by the position measuring device to a weather information providing server through the communication module, and can receive weather information from the weather information providing server.

[0021] Additionally, the processor receives steering information of the vehicle from the vehicle main controller, and in steps (c) and (d), the processor divides the screen of the display according to the steering information and can enlarge a person or object in the steering direction and display it in the divided area of ​​the steering direction.

[0022] A rear-view mirror according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention captures images using a camera, detects people using a lidar sensor in good weather conditions, and detects objects using a radar sensor in bad weather conditions. Then, a person or object detected in the image is matched with a person or object detected by a sensor based on their location, and when the image is displayed on the rear-view mirror's display, additional information obtained by the sensor is displayed together with the corresponding person or object, thereby allowing the driver to more clearly identify objects included in the image and obtain additional information such as the distance to the person or object, which can contribute to safe driving.

[0023] FIGS. 1A and FIGS. 1B are drawings illustrating the configuration of a rear-view mirror according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an image display method of a rear-view mirror according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figures 3 and 4 are flowcharts illustrating the detailed process of the first and second display processes shown in Figure 2.

[0026] Figures 5a and 5b are drawings illustrating an example of displaying an image through a display.

[0027] FIGS. 5a to 7b are drawings illustrating examples of displaying images through a display.

[0028] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a normal field of view image and a wide field of view image displayed on a display.

[0029] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] Hereinafter, the aforementioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, as the present invention is subject to various modifications and may have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail below.

[0031] Throughout the specification, identical reference numbers indicate identical components in principle. Additionally, components with identical functions within the scope of the same concept appearing in the drawings of each embodiment are described using the same reference numeral.

[0032] When a part of a specification is described as "including" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components. Furthermore, terms such as "...part" or "module" as used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and this may be implemented in hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software.

[0033] If it is determined that a detailed description of known functions or configurations related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present invention, such detailed description is omitted. Additionally, numbers used in the description of this specification (e.g., 1st, 2nd, etc.) are merely identification symbols to distinguish one component from another.

[0034] FIGS. 1A and FIGS. 1B are drawings illustrating the configuration of a rear-view mirror according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, a rear-view mirror (100) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a camera module (110), a mirror module (140), a display (130), a circuit unit (120), a first sensing sensor (150) and a second sensing sensor (160), and depending on the embodiment, may further include a position measuring device (170).

[0036] The circuit section (120) basically includes a processor (121) and a memory (123), and may further include a communication module (125) depending on the embodiment. The camera module (110) basically includes a rear camera (111), and may further include a front camera (113) depending on the embodiment.

[0037] The mirror module (140), display (130), and circuit (120) are included in the rear-view mirror housing (190) and installed near the front windshield of the vehicle interior.

[0038] The rear camera (111) is installed on the exterior rear of the vehicle, captures the rear of the vehicle to generate a rear image, and transmits the rear image to the processor (121). It is preferable that the rear camera (111) be used to have a shooting angle of 180 degrees so that blind spots can be captured.

[0039] The front camera (113) is installed to photograph the front of the vehicle and outputs the captured front image to the processor (121). The front camera (113) may be installed inside the outer housing (190) of the rear-view mirror (100) installed in the center of the front windshield, or it may be installed at a separate location from the rear-view mirror (100).

[0040] The first detection sensor (150) is implemented as a Lidar sensor and is installed to face the rear of the vehicle. The first detection sensor (150) scans the rear of the vehicle according to a control signal input from the processor (121) and outputs the scanned data to the processor (121). A Lidar sensor is a sensor that emits a laser beam and measures the time and distance information of the beam reflecting off an object and returning to accurately recognize the surrounding environment in 3D. A Lidar sensor has the advantage of being able to recognize not only the location of an object in the scanned area but also the shape of the object. Since details regarding the Lidar sensor itself have been disclosed, a detailed description is omitted.

[0041] The second detection sensor (160) is implemented as a radar sensor and is installed to face the rear of the vehicle. The second detection sensor (160) detects whether an object exists behind the vehicle according to a control signal input from the processor (121) and outputs to the processor (121). A radar sensor is a device that detects the position, speed, and direction of an object by transmitting electromagnetic waves and analyzing the signal reflected back from an object. Unlike cameras or lidar sensors, it has the advantage of operating stably even in adverse weather conditions such as fog, heavy rain, and snow, and is particularly utilized for detecting vehicles ahead, maintaining distance between vehicles, and detecting blind spots in autonomous vehicles. Since the details regarding the radar sensor itself have been disclosed, a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0042] The location measuring device (170) is implemented as a GPS module and measures the location of the vehicle at regular time intervals and outputs it to the processor (121). However, if the processor (121) receives location information from the navigation device (300) installed in the vehicle, the location measuring device (170) may be omitted.

[0043] The display (130) can be implemented as an LCD module, an OLED module, etc., and is turned on / off according to the control of the processor (121), and outputs a video signal generated by the processor (121).

[0044] The mirror module (140) contains an EC (Electronic Chromic) film inside and is positioned in front of the display (130). Under the control of the processor (121), the reflectivity and transmittance of the EC film contained in the mirror module (140) are adjusted, and accordingly, the mirror module (140) performs the role of a reflector or transmits an image displayed on the display (130) so that the driver and passengers can see the image on the display (130).

[0045] The memory (123) is implemented as an SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and can store instructions to be executed by the processor (121), data processed by the processor (121), rear images captured by the rear camera (111), and front images captured by the front camera (113). Additionally, the memory (123) can further store detection data measured by the first detection sensor (150) and the second detection sensor (160), and position information measured by the position measuring device (170). Furthermore, the memory (123) stores various setting information, particularly regarding the display mode, it stores setting information for the most recently set display mode (i.e., mirror mode setting information or display setting information).

[0046] The processor (121) can be implemented as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a similar device (e.g., MPU (Micro Processing Unit), MCU (Micro Control Unit), etc.) and controls the display (130) and mirror module (140) by executing instructions stored in memory (123), processes images captured by the cameras (111, 113) to generate an image to be output to the display (130), and outputs the generated image through the display (130).

[0047] The processor (121) controls the rear-view mirror (100) to operate in display mode or mirror mode. In display mode, the processor (121) outputs images captured by cameras (111, 113) through the display (130) and increases the transmittance of the mirror module (EC film) (140) above a predetermined value (i.e., lowers the reflectance of the mirror module (140) below a predetermined value) so that the images output from the display (130) pass through the mirror module (140) and are output to the driver. The display mode of the present invention can be divided into a rear display mode in which a rear image captured by the rear camera (111) is output through the display (130), and a front display mode in which a front image captured by the front camera (113) is output through the display (130).

[0048] In mirror mode, the processor (121) turns off the display (130) and lowers the transmittance of the mirror module (EC film) (140) to a value below a predefined value (i.e., raises the reflectance of the mirror module (140) above a predefined value), thereby controlling the light to be reflected from the mirror module (140) toward the driver, just like a standard rear-view mirror (100).

[0049] The processor (121) outputs a front image or a rear image through the display (130) when the display mode set by the driver is a display mode.

[0050] At this time, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the processor (121) does not simply display a rear image or a front image through the display (130), but recognizes an object included in the image, indicates that an object is located at the position of the object within the image, and outputs the distance between each object and the vehicle together through the display (130), thereby enabling the driver to intuitively recognize the location and distance of the objects even in a short moment.

[0051] To this end, the processor (121) of the present invention controls the rear camera (111) or the front camera (113) to capture an image to be displayed to the driver, and applies an object recognition algorithm to the image to detect objects.

[0052] Additionally, the processor (121) controls the detection sensors (150, 160) to measure the shape, position, and distance of an object, and then matches the object detected using the detection sensors (150, 160) with the object detected in the image based on the object's position. For example, among the detected objects, an object detected in the upper left is matched with an object detected in the upper left of the image, and among the detected objects, an object detected in the lower right is matched with an object detected in the lower right of the image.

[0053] And, when the processor (121) displays an image through the display (130), it can add a separate mark (e.g., a frame of a specific color or an icon, etc.) for each object to make it easier for the driver to recognize, and additionally, it can provide additional information to the driver by displaying the distance from the vehicle.

[0054] Additionally, the processor (121) can display additional information differently depending on the distance when there are multiple objects within the image. For example, depending on the distance between the vehicle and the object, the objects can be ordered such that a red frame is displayed around the object closest to the vehicle, a yellow frame is displayed around the next closest object, and a blue frame is displayed around the object furthest away.

[0055] In addition, in another embodiment of the present invention, to prevent accidents involving human casualties, a general object and a person are distinguished, and a detection sensor is activated only when a person is detected in the image to measure the distance between the person and the vehicle, and the distance between the vehicle and the person can be displayed for the person in the image.

[0056] However, while it is possible to distinguish between general objects and people if a person can be detected in the image due to ambient lighting on clear days or at night, in adverse weather conditions such as heavy rain or fog, it is difficult to determine whether the object is a person, even though the object can be recognized in the image.

[0057] Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in such adverse weather conditions, the object is not limited to a person, and after detecting a general object in the image, the object is detected using a detection sensor, the distance between the object and the vehicle and the position of the object are measured, and the object detected using the detection sensor and the object detected in the image are matched based on location, and additional information such as the distance between the detected object and the vehicle is displayed through the display (130).

[0058] To explain each case in more detail, when the video is displayed on the rearview mirror in non-severe weather conditions, it is easy to identify objects in the image, but it is difficult to determine how close they are. In particular, when multiple people are standing behind the vehicle, it is difficult to determine the distance between each person and the vehicle.

[0059] To solve these problems, the processor (121) of a preferred embodiment of the present invention applies an object recognition algorithm to an image to recognize a person and determines the location within the image.

[0060] After that, the processor (121) scans objects using a first sensing sensor (150) implemented as a LiDAR sensor, measures the shape, position, and distance of each object as a result of the scanning, and uses the shape to determine whether the object is a person.

[0061] The processor (121) matches the location of a person recognized in the image with the location of a person detected using the first detection sensor (150) by matching the person detected in the image with the person detected using the first detection sensor (150), and when displaying the image on the display (130), displays the distance measured using the first detection sensor (150) for each person.

[0062] At this time, the processor (121) may simply display the distance between the person and the vehicle, or may display a separate frame (510) or icon (520) around the person to facilitate recognition for the driver (see FIG. 5a). Additionally, when multiple people are present in the image, the processor (121) may perform different displays for each person depending on the distance. For example, depending on the distance between the vehicle and the person, a red frame (511) may be displayed around the person closest, a yellow frame (512) may be displayed around the next closest person, and a blue frame (513) may be displayed around the person furthest away.

[0063] Meanwhile, when weather conditions are bad, such as when it rains heavily or is foggy, the processor (121) can roughly recognize objects from the image, but it is difficult to clearly identify people. In addition, in the case of the first detection sensor (150), the LiDAR sensor, the laser beam being emitted is scattered by moisture in the air, making it difficult to obtain accurate measurement results.

[0064] Accordingly, the present invention adopts a radar sensor capable of detecting objects even in adverse weather conditions as a second detection sensor (160) in preparation for adverse weather conditions. A processor (121) recognizes an object from an image and detects the presence, location, and distance of the object using the radar sensor, which is the second detection sensor (160). Then, the processor (121) matches the location of the object recognized in the image with the location of the object detected using the second detection sensor (160) so that when displaying the image on the display (130), the distance measured using the second detection sensor (160) for each object is displayed together (see FIG. 6).

[0065] In addition, the processor (121) can increase the driver's recognition rate by displaying a frame or icon on an object, and can increase the driver's recognition rate by displaying a frame, etc. in a different color depending on the distance, as described above.

[0066] Meanwhile, in order to perform the above-described function, the processor (121) of the present invention must acquire weather information.

[0067] The processor (121) of the present invention acquires navigation information from a navigation device (300) included in a vehicle and can determine whether the current weather information corresponds to bad weather by using the weather information included in the navigation information.

[0068] In case the processor (121) has difficulty obtaining weather information from the navigation device (300), the rear-view mirror according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a location measuring device (170) implemented as a GPS module inside and a communication module (125), and the current location of the vehicle is measured using the location measuring device (170), and the measured location information is transmitted to a weather information providing server (400) through the communication module (125) to request weather information for the current location, and then the weather information is received from the weather information providing server (400). At this time, the communication module (125) can communicate with the weather information providing server (400) through a wireless mobile communication network.

[0069] Meanwhile, the processor (121) can receive additional steering information of the vehicle from the vehicle main controller (200) and divide the display screen according to the steering information to enlarge and display the person corresponding to the steering direction.

[0070] For example, when the driver rotates the steering wheel of the vehicle to the right by more than a predefined angle, the processor (121) can divide a portion of the right side of the display screen, display the existing image in the large central area as is, and enlarge and display the area of ​​the person (or object) (710) located at the far right in the divided right area (see FIG. 7a).

[0071] Additionally, the processor (121) can divide the display screen into three areas: a portion of the left area, a portion of the right area, and a large central area, the central area displays the entire rear view, and the areas corresponding to the person (or object) located on the far left and the person (or object) located on the far right of the image are cropped and enlarged to display, respectively (see FIG. 7b).

[0072] In addition, another preferred embodiment of the present invention further includes an internal speaker (not shown), and the processor (121) may output a warning sound indicating that a person has been detected through the internal speaker (not shown) or request the vehicle main controller (200) to output the warning sound through a speaker installed in the vehicle.

[0073] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an image display method of a rear-view mirror according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] Hereinafter, with further reference to FIG. 2, the function of the rear-view mirror and the method for displaying an image of the rear-view mirror according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail. However, since the function performed in the method for displaying an image of the rear-view mirror shown in FIG. 2 is identical to the function of the rear-view mirror described with reference to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, the description of redundant functions is omitted.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 2, when power is applied to and the rear-view mirror (100) of the present invention is driven, the processor (121) checks the display mode set in the memory (123) (S210).

[0076] When the display mode is mirror mode, the processor (121) turns off the display (130) and lowers the transmittance of the EC film inside the mirror module (140) to a value below a predetermined value (i.e., raises the reflectance above a predetermined value), so that the rear view is reflected in the mirror module (140) and displayed to the driver (S220).

[0077] Meanwhile, if the display mode is confirmed to be a display mode in step S210, the processor (121) drives the rear camera (111) to start capturing a rear image (S230), turns on the display (130), and increases the transmittance of the EC film included in the mirror module (140) to a value greater than a predefined value to display the rear image on the display (130) (S240). At this time, the rear image displayed on the display (130) is displayed by cropping the area (810) corresponding to the normal viewing angle from the original rear image input from the rear camera (111) (see FIG. 8).

[0078] After that, the processor (121) checks whether the reverse gear is set by examining the gear setting information received from the vehicle main controller (200) (S251), and if the reverse gear is set, the processor (121) crops the area (820) corresponding to the wide angle of view in the original rear image and displays it through the display (130) (S253).

[0079] After that, the processor (121) obtains weather information and checks whether the weather conditions are bad weather (S260). As described above, as a method of obtaining weather information, the processor (121) may receive weather information from a navigation device (300) installed in the vehicle, or request weather information by transmitting the current vehicle location information input from the location measuring device (170) to a weather information providing server (400) through a communication module (125), and receive weather information from the weather information providing server (400).

[0080] Meanwhile, the processor (121) performs a first display process (S270) if the weather is not bad, and performs a second display process (S280) if the weather is bad, depending on the acquired weather information.

[0081] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a preferred first display process of the present invention.

[0082] Referring to FIG. 3, the first display process is performed when the weather conditions are not bad weather. Specifically, first, the processor (121) attempts to recognize a person by applying an object recognition algorithm to the image and checks whether a person is recognized in the image. If a person is not recognized, the process proceeds to step S253 (S271).

[0083] In step S271, if at least one person is detected, the processor (121) activates the first detection sensor (150) and receives information about the position, shape, and distance of the object, i.e., the result of scanning in the same direction as the camera (111) from the first detection sensor (150) (S273).

[0084] The processor (121) detects a person using the shape of an object scanned by the first detection sensor (150), and matches the person in the image with the detected person based on the location of the person detected in the image and the location of the person detected by the first detection sensor (150) (S275).

[0085] After that, the processor (121) outputs the image to the display (130) and additionally displays information obtained from the first detection sensor (150) for each person included in the image (S277).

[0086] In step S277, as illustrated in FIGS. 5a and 5b, distance information can be output while displaying a frame (510) or an icon (520) around each person in the image. Additionally, if multiple people are included in the image, the processor (121) can display the colors of the frames or icons around the people differently according to the order of distance from the vehicle. For example, a red frame (511) or icon is displayed around the closest person, and a blue frame (513) or icon is displayed around the farthest person.

[0087] Meanwhile, in step S277, as illustrated in FIGS. 5a and 5b, the processor (121) further receives steering information of the vehicle from the vehicle main controller (200), and can divide the display screen according to the steering information to enlarge and display the person corresponding to the steering direction.

[0088] For example, when the driver rotates the vehicle's steering wheel to the right by more than a predefined angle, the processor (121) can divide a portion of the right side of the display screen, display the existing image in the large central area as is, and enlarge and display the area (710) of the person located furthest to the right in the divided right area.

[0089] Additionally, the processor (121) can divide the display screen into three areas: a portion of the left side, a portion of the right side, and a large area in the center. The center area displays the entire rear view, and the areas (720, 710) corresponding to the person located on the far left and the person located on the far right of the image are cropped and enlarged, respectively, to display.

[0090] In addition, in step S277, the processor (121) may output a warning sound indicating that a person has been detected through an internal speaker (not shown), or request the vehicle main controller (200) to output a warning sound through a speaker installed in the vehicle.

[0091] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a preferred second display process of the present invention.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 4, the second display process (280) is performed when the weather conditions are bad weather. Specifically, first, the processor (121) attempts to recognize an object by applying an object recognition algorithm to the image and checks whether an object is recognized in the image. If no object is recognized, the process proceeds to step S253 (S281). As described above, even in bad weather conditions, it is possible to recognize the presence of an object in the rear image captured using the rear camera (111), but since it is unclear whether the object is a person, in bad weather conditions, only the object is recognized and the process described below is performed.

[0093] In step S281, if at least one object is recognized, the processor (121) activates a second detection sensor (160) implemented as a radar sensor and receives information about the detection result, i.e., the location and distance of the object, by detecting the same direction as the camera from the second detection sensor (160) (S283).

[0094] The processor (121) matches the object in the image with the detected object based on the location of the object detected by the second detection sensor (160) and the location of the object detected in the image (S285).

[0095] After that, the processor (121) displays the image on the display (130) and additionally displays information obtained from the second detection sensor (160) for each object included in the image (S287).

[0096] The function performed in S287 is identical except that it is performed on objects instead of people, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0097] The method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention described so far can be implemented as a computer program stored on a non-transient storage medium by being implemented as computer-executable instructions. In addition, the present invention makes it possible to implement the method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror as computer-readable code on a computer-readable non-transient recording medium.

[0098] Storage media include all types of recording devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of computer-readable storage media include non-volatile memory, ROM, CD-ROM, and optical data storage devices. Additionally, computer-readable storage media are distributed across networked computer systems, allowing computer-readable code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0099] The present invention has been described above with reference to its preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be embodied in modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims, not by the foregoing description, and all variations within the scope of the claims should be interpreted as being included in the invention.

Claims

1. A camera module including a rear camera that captures the rear of a vehicle and outputs a rear image; A display that outputs an image; A mirror module installed in front of the above display, which adjusts transmittance and reflectance according to a control signal; A first detection sensor for detecting the rear of the vehicle; and It includes a circuit section including a processor and memory, and The above processor Checks the display mode set by the user, and if the display mode is a display mode, activates the rear camera, and displays the rear image input from the rear camera on the display with a normal field of view. Using gear setting information received from the vehicle main controller, check whether the reverse gear is set, and if the reverse gear is set, obtain weather information and check whether the weather information indicates adverse weather conditions, A rear-view mirror characterized by recognizing a person in the rear image when there is no adverse weather condition, matching the recognized person based on location with a person detected by the first detection sensor, and displaying additional information obtained from the first detection sensor together with the person included in the rear image.

2. In Paragraph 1, It further includes a second detection sensor that detects the rear of the vehicle by emitting a signal different from the first detection sensor, and The above processor is, A rear-view mirror characterized by recognizing an object from the rear image in adverse weather conditions, matching the recognized object with an object detected by the second detection sensor based on location, and displaying additional information obtained from the second detection sensor together with the object included in the rear image.

3. In Paragraph 1 or 2, The first sensing sensor above is implemented as a Lidar sensor, and A rear-view mirror characterized by the processor receiving shape information, location information, and distance information of an object from the first detection sensor, identifying a person using the shape information, and matching a person recognized from the rear image and a person identified using the first detection sensor based on the location information.

4. In Paragraph 2, The above second detection sensor is implemented as a radar sensor, and A rear-view mirror characterized by the processor receiving location information and distance information of an object from the second detection sensor, and matching an object detected from the rear image with an object detected using the second detection sensor based on location information.

5. In Paragraph 2, The processor displays, for the recognized person or the detected object, distance information from the vehicle and an indication representing the person or object as additional information, and A rear-view mirror characterized by a display indicating the person or object, which displays a frame or an icon around the person recognized in the rear image or the object detected in the rear image.

6. In Paragraph 2, A rear-view mirror characterized by the processor receiving navigation information from a navigation device installed in a vehicle and using weather information included in the navigation information to determine whether there is a bad weather condition.

7. In Paragraph 2, It further includes a position measuring device and a communication module. A rear-view mirror characterized by the processor requesting weather information while transmitting location information measured by the location measuring device to a weather information providing server through the communication module, and receiving weather information from the weather information providing server.

8. In Paragraph 2, The above processor receives steering information of the vehicle from the vehicle main controller, and A rear-view mirror characterized by the processor dividing the screen of the display according to steering information and magnifying a person or object in the steering direction to display it in the divided area of ​​the steering direction.

9. A method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror comprising: a camera module including a rear camera for capturing the rear of a vehicle; a display for outputting an image; a mirror module installed in front of the display for adjusting transmittance and reflectance according to a control signal; a first detection sensor for detecting the rear of a vehicle; and a circuit unit including a processor and a memory, wherein (a) The processor checks a display mode set by a user, and if the display mode is a display mode, activates the rear camera, and displays a rear image input from the rear camera on the display with a normal field of view; (b) the processor checks whether the reverse gear is set using gear setting information received from the vehicle's main controller, and if the reverse gear is set, obtains weather information and checks whether the weather information indicates an adverse weather condition; and (c) In the case of non-adverse weather conditions, the processor recognizes a person in the rear image, matches the recognized person with a person detected by the first detection sensor based on location, and displays additional information obtained from the first detection sensor together with the person included in the rear image; characterized by comprising the step of a rear-view mirror image display method.

10. In Paragraph 9, The above rear-view mirror further includes a second detection sensor that detects the rear of the vehicle by emitting a signal different from the first detection sensor, and (d) In the case of adverse weather conditions, the processor recognizes an object from the rear image, matches the recognized object with an object detected by the second detection sensor based on location, and displays additional information obtained from the second detection sensor together with the object included in the rear image; further comprising a method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror.

11. In Paragraph 9 or 10, The first sensing sensor above is implemented as a Lidar sensor, and A method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror, characterized in that the processor receives shape information, location information, and distance information of an object from the first detection sensor, identifies a person using the shape information, and matches a person recognized from the rear image with a person identified using the first detection sensor based on the location information.

12. In Paragraph 10, The above second detection sensor is implemented as a radar sensor, and A method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror, characterized in that the processor receives position information and distance information of an object from the second detection sensor, and matches an object detected from the rear image with an object detected using the second detection sensor based on the position information.

13. In Paragraph 10, The processor displays, for the recognized person or the detected object, distance information from the vehicle and an indication representing the person or object as additional information, and A method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror, characterized in that the indication representing the person or object displays a frame or an icon around the person recognized in the rear image or the object detected in the rear image.

14. In Paragraph 10, A method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror, characterized in that the processor receives navigation information from a navigation device installed in a vehicle and checks whether there is bad weather using weather information included in the navigation information.

15. In Paragraph 10, The above rear-view mirror further includes a position measuring device and a communication module. A method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror, characterized in that the processor requests weather information while transmitting location information measured by the location measuring device to a weather information providing server through the communication module, and receives weather information from the weather information providing server.

16. In Paragraph 10, The above processor receives steering information of the vehicle from the vehicle main controller, and In the above steps (c) and (d), A method for displaying an image of a rear-view mirror, characterized in that the processor divides the screen of the display according to steering information and enlarges a person or object in the steering direction to display it in the divided area of ​​the steering direction.

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