JP2000118300A - On-vehicle image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To use an image pickup device to be attached to a vehicle for various purposes according to running conditions. SOLUTION: Image pickup devices 1 to 5 attached to the respective parts of a vehicle 6 are capable of changing the photographing direction of a video camera housed inside. The image pickup device 1 is, as indicated by a solid line (1), provided for monitoring a front side, but capable of performing front side monitoring as indicated by a virtual line by changing a photographing direction. The monitoring device 2 for right rear side monitoring and the monitoring device 4 for rear side monitoring are capable of monitoring a carrier loaded article on a roof by changing a photographing direction. The monitoring device 3 for left side monitoring is used, for example for verifying the state of a child or the like in the monitoring of the inside of the car room of the vehicle 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an in-vehicle image pickup apparatus which is attached to a vehicle body such as an automobile and picks up an image inside and outside the vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image pickup device such as a video camera is mounted on an automobile to take images of the inside and outside of the vehicle to contribute to safe driving. For example, in a large-sized vehicle, there is an example in which an image of a portion that is a blind spot of a driver is captured, and particularly, an image behind the vehicle is captured when the vehicle retreats.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-101299 discloses a prior art in which a radar is provided in front of a vehicle, an obstacle on a road ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle is detected, and an alarm is issued to avoid a collision. ing. If the imaging device is installed in front of the vehicle, instead of radar, it will take an image in front of the traveling direction,
It is expected that the same obstacle avoidance can be achieved by image processing. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-185591 discloses a prior art in which an object or the like existing around a vehicle is detected by a peripheral object sensor such as an infrared sensor, and a relationship with a predicted traveling trajectory of the vehicle is displayed on a display. Techniques are disclosed. It is also conceivable to replace this prior art peripheral object sensor with an imaging device and recognize the peripheral object in the image.

[0004] A conventional in-vehicle imaging device is designed to capture an image in a specific range, such as a video camera that captures the rear of a vehicle. It is assumed that the imaging range of the imaging device is fixed even when the imaging device is used to detect an obstacle ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle or when the imaging device is used to detect an obstacle around the vehicle. Becomes

[0005]

As described above, although an imaging device such as a video camera is conventionally mounted on a vehicle, an image captured by the mounted imaging device is fixed in a fixed imaging direction. It is an image of. Since the image to be captured is fixed, the time when the imaging device is not used increases depending on the driving condition of the vehicle. For example, an imaging device that captures an image behind the vehicle is used to eliminate the blind spot of the driver when the vehicle is stopped or when the vehicle is moving backward, but it is necessary to pause in other driving situations. Become. However, the vehicle has many portions that are blind spots of the driver, and there is a need to capture images in other directions according to the driving conditions of the vehicle. If the image capturing direction is fixed, it is necessary to mount many image capturing devices on a vehicle in order to capture different images according to various driving situations. In addition, when the imaging device is mounted on a vehicle, the imaging direction of the image is accurately adjusted so that the imaging device can accurately capture a desired image, and the adjusted direction does not shift during traveling. In addition, it is necessary to firmly fix the vehicle. In addition, even if the imaging device is once fixed to the vehicle, it is necessary to change the imaging direction and repeat the operation so as to obtain a more useful image.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an on-vehicle image pickup apparatus which can be easily attached to a vehicle and can easily change a direction in which an image is picked up.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a camera for imaging, a direction changing mechanism for changing an imaging direction of the camera,
Surrounding the camera and the direction changing mechanism, a transparent window is formed in at least a part of a change range of the imaging direction of the camera by the direction changing mechanism, a waterproof casing, and a casing housing the camera and the direction changing mechanism. And a mounting mechanism for mounting on a vehicle body.

According to the present invention, the direction in which an image is picked up by a camera can be changed by a direction changing mechanism in a waterproof casing, and one camera can pick up images in many directions. The camera and the direction change mechanism are housed in the casing, and the casing is made waterproof, so that even if it is installed outside the vehicle body with the mounting mechanism, images can be taken without affecting the surrounding environment such as rainwater. be able to.

Further, in the present invention, the attachment mechanism includes a magnet for attracting the vehicle body.

According to the present invention, since the mounting mechanism includes the magnet for attracting to the vehicle body, the casing can be easily mounted at many places on the vehicle body. Since the magnet is used for attachment, the adjustment of the attachment angle and the like can be easily performed.

Further, in the present invention, the mounting mechanism includes a bracket which can be joined to a surface of a vehicle body, is fixed to the casing, and has a fixed angle adjustable.

According to the present invention, the bracket is joined to an arbitrary portion of the vehicle body using, for example, a double-sided adhesive tape, and the fixing angle with respect to the bracket is adjusted. Since the angle at which the casing housing the camera is fixed to the bracket is adjustable, the imaging device can be mounted in any direction. Since the bracket can be joined to an arbitrary place on the vehicle body, it is possible to easily adjust the imaging range and direction.

Further, in the present invention, the window has a shape along a locus drawn by the tip of the camera as the imaging direction of the camera is changed by the direction changing mechanism.

According to the present invention, since the casing is provided with the transparent window, even if the direction of the image picked up by the camera is changed by the direction changing mechanism, the camera and the direction changing mechanism are kept waterproof by the casing. The direction in which an image is captured can be easily changed in the state of being surrounded.

Further, in the present invention, the casing has an internal shape that allows a change in the imaging direction of the camera by the direction changing mechanism, and has an external shape with low air resistance.

According to the present invention, since the inner shape of the casing is a shape that allows a change in the imaging direction of the camera, and the outer shape is a shape with low air resistance, the casing can be mounted outside the vehicle body. It is hardly affected by the resistance of air, and can be made small and lightweight.

Further, in the present invention, the direction changing mechanism can change the imaging direction of the camera around a horizontal axis by more than 90 °, and when the direction changing mechanism exceeds 90 °, the imaging direction of the camera can be changed. When the angle is changed about the horizontal axis, an inverting circuit for inverting the vertical direction of the image captured by the camera is provided.

According to the present invention, the direction changing mechanism can change the imaging direction of the camera around a horizontal axis beyond 90 °. If the imaging direction is changed by more than 90 °, the vertical direction of the image is reversed, but the vertical direction can be reversed by the reversing circuit, so that an easy-to-view image can be displayed.

In the present invention, the window is subjected to a water-repellent treatment.

According to the present invention, since the window is water-repellent, it is difficult for raindrops or the like to adhere to the window, and the effect on image pickup can be reduced even in a rainy state.

Further, the present invention provides a memory capable of storing an imaging direction of the camera changed by the direction changing mechanism,
When the imaging direction of the camera is different from the imaging direction stored in the memory, a control circuit that controls the direction changing mechanism to adjust the imaging direction to the stored direction is included.

According to the present invention, the imaging direction of the camera can be stored in the memory, and the control circuit can control the direction changing mechanism so that the imaging direction is stored in the memory.

Further, in the present invention, a plurality of imaging directions are stored in the memory, and the control circuit selects the imaging direction stored in the memory according to a driving state of the vehicle. .

According to the present invention, since a plurality of imaging directions can be stored in the memory and the imaging direction can be selected according to the driving state, an image in the imaging direction corresponding to the driving situation can be obtained from the camera.

[0025]

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. The imaging devices 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
It is attached to each part of the vehicle 6 and captures an image in a range indicated by a solid line. That is,
The imaging device 1 is mounted on the left and right of the front of the vehicle body of the vehicle 6 and captures images from the driver's seat 7 that are blind spots and are shadowed by obstacles 8 such as walls. For example, when the vehicle 6 is about to leave the parking lot of the house on the road, the front side monitoring can be performed so that the vehicle 6 does not encounter a vehicle traveling on the road ahead and cause a collision accident. . The imaging device 2 performs right rear monitoring. While traveling on a road, it is possible to prevent contact when changing course. The imaging device 3 performs left side monitoring. For example, when turning left at an intersection or the like, it is possible to prevent a tangling accident. The imaging device 4 monitors the rear. Accidents during reverse driving can be prevented. The imaging device 5 can perform roof monitoring on the roof of the vehicle 6. When the luggage is loaded on the roof carrier, it is possible to confirm and monitor whether the luggage is securely held.

Each of the imaging devices 1, 2, 3, 4, and 4 of the present embodiment
5 can change the imaging direction to a direction indicated by a virtual line, for example. The imaging device 1 can change the imaging direction so as to capture the most recent image in front. The imaging device 2 can also capture an image behind or on a roof. The imaging device 3 can also capture images of the driver's seat 7 and the vehicle interior. The imaging device 4 can also capture an image on the roof. The imaging device 5 can also perform monitoring on the right rear side to prevent contact when changing course. Therefore, even if all of the imaging devices 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are not mounted, a similar number of monitoring can be performed by a small number of imaging devices by sharing a role.

FIG. 2 shows an example of an image that can be picked up by a part of the image pickup apparatus shown in FIG. 2A and 2B show examples of right and left front side monitoring images captured by the imaging device 1 of FIG. 1, respectively. The situation of the road surface 9 ahead of the obstacle 8 which cannot be seen from the driver's seat 7 can be monitored.
2B, which is an image for the left side, can be taken even when the imaging direction of the imaging device 3 in FIG. 1 is directed to the left side. FIG. 2C shows an example of an image of a bicycle, which is a luggage mounted on a roof carrier, captured by the imaging device 5 of FIG. The roof carrier-mounted luggage can also be imaged by the other imaging devices 2 and 4 in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the image pickup devices 1, 2, 3, 4, and 4 of FIG.
5 shows the shape of a camera unit 10 that can be used.
The camera unit 10 includes a casing 11 having a waterproof property.
The video camera 12 is housed inside. Video camera 1
The portion where the two imaging lenses 13 exist is the casing 1
1, a transparent window 14 is provided. Within the casing 11, the video camera 12 can change the imaging direction. A magnet for adsorption is fixed to the bottom of the casing 11, and can be attached to each part of the vehicle body of the vehicle 6 in FIG. The cord 16 is pulled out from the camera unit 10 and is used for supplying power for operation, adjusting an imaging direction, and transmitting an image signal obtained by imaging. A portion where the cord 16 is attached to the surface of the vehicle body 6 may be held by providing a magnet clamp or the like. The casing 11 is also provided with a microphone 17 for sound collection. The microphone 17 is preferably of a stereo type. This is because sound is collected with directionality, and the approach of a child, a bicycle, or another car can be detected as sound.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the camera unit 10 of FIG. 3 is disassembled. The casing 11 has an upper part 18 and a lower part 1.
9, the video camera 12 and the direction changing mechanism 20 for changing the imaging direction are stored. In a state where the upper part 18 and the lower part 19 are combined, it is possible to seal the inside so that rainwater or the like does not enter the inside and keep the inside waterproof.

FIG. 5 shows the structure of the direction changing mechanism of FIG. A motor 21 is attached to a lower portion 19 of the casing 11. The output shaft of the motor 21 is substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the casing 11, and a worm gear 22 is attached.
The worm gear 22 transmits the rotational driving force of the motor 21 to a spur gear 24 mounted on a support shaft 23 erected from the bottom of the lower portion 19. A worm gear 25 is mounted on the support shaft 23 together with the spur gear 24, and the rotational driving force transmitted to the spur gear 24 causes the worm gear 25 to rotate. The worm gear 25 transmits a rotational driving force to a spur gear 27 attached to one end of an angular displacement shaft 26 that angularly displaces the imaging direction of the video camera 12. The angular displacement shaft 26 is
1 is substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the lower portion 19 and is substantially horizontal. When the spur gear 27 is angularly displaced by the rotation driving force from the motor 21, the optical axis of the imaging lens 13 of the video camera 12 is angularly displaced around the substantially horizontal axis of the angular displacement axis 26.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic electrical configuration for changing the imaging direction of the camera unit 10 of FIG. The camera control unit 30 controls the rotation and the direction of the motor 21 according to a command input from the operation unit 31. The command from the operation unit 31 is input to the input circuit 32, and the processing circuit 33 interprets the content of the command. Motor 21
When the command is a command for driving the code 16, the processing circuit 33 controls the drive circuit 34 to
The motor 21 is supplied to the motor 21 via the. The image captured by the video camera 24 is displayed on the display unit 36 as an image. The display unit 36 is also used, for example, for displaying map data of a navigation device mounted on a vehicle and for receiving television broadcasts. The operator watching the image captured by the camera unit 10 from the display unit 36 stops driving the motor 21 in a state where a desired image is obtained,
The imaging direction is kept constant. The direction changing mechanism 20 of the present embodiment uses a worm gear 22, 25 and a motor 21.
Transmission of the rotational driving force from the motor 2
When 1 is stopped, the driving force is not transmitted in the opposite direction by the rotational moment applied to the video camera 12, and the imaging direction of the video camera 12 can be maintained.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic shape of the operation unit 31 connected to the camera control unit 30 of FIG. The operation unit 31 is provided with a + rotation switch 37 and a − rotation switch 38 on the surface.
Rotates to one side, and if the -rotation switch 38 is pressed, the motor 2
1 rotates to the other. The operation result of the + rotation switch 37 or the − rotation switch 38 is given to the input circuit 32 of FIG. The operator manually operates the operation unit 31 and adjusts the imaging direction to an appropriate target while viewing the image on the display unit 36.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are a front view and a plan view, respectively, of the upper portion 18 of the casing 11 shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG.
FIG. The shape of the casing 11, particularly its upper part 18, is such that when the video camera 12 inside changes the imaging direction by the direction change mechanism 20, the shape follows the locus drawn by the imaging lens 13 at the distal end. 14 are formed. Since the distance between the imaging lens 13 and the window 14 is minimized, a good external image can be captured even if the imaging direction changes. Further, the window 14 is subjected to a water-repellent treatment (coating with a water-repellent substance) so that rainwater or the like is hardly attached thereto. In addition, the water-repellent processing has an effect that the raindrops attached to the window 14 are blown off by the wind accompanying the traveling of the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to cause the video camera 12 to capture an image in a favorable state. The other part of the window 14 in the casing 11 is formed into a curved surface that is as small as possible and does not cause air resistance. Also, such a casing 11
The camera unit 10 is made of a lightweight synthetic resin, and is lightweight and small in size as a whole. Thereby, the magnet 1
In the state in which the vehicle is adsorbed on the vehicle, it is possible to capture an image without falling off due to vibration of the running vehicle.

FIG. 10 shows a schematic configuration of a camera unit 40 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The camera unit 40 of the present embodiment is substantially the same as the camera unit 10 shown in FIG. 3, and the corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference characters and redundant description will be omitted. In the camera unit 40 of the present embodiment, the lower part 1 of the casing 11 is used as an attachment mechanism.
The bracket 41 is attached to the bottom surface of 9. Bracket 41
The bottom surface 42 can be joined to any portion of the vehicle mounted on the vehicle using a double-sided adhesive tape or the like. At the attachment portion 43 of the bracket 41 to the casing 41, the attachment angle can be changed and the bracket 41 can be fixed by tightening with bolts 44 and nuts 45.

FIG. 11 shows the shape of the bottom surface of the bracket 41 of FIG. Since the bracket 41 has a plurality of notches 46, the bracket 41 can be easily deformed according to the curved shape of the vehicle body to be joined, and can be easily attached to the vehicle body via a double-sided adhesive tape or an adhesive. . Such a joining method to a vehicle body is also performed by mounting an antenna or the like, and has a sufficiently reliable track record. A camera unit 1 having a magnet 15 mounted on the bottom as shown in FIG.
0 can be attached to the bracket 41 by magnetic force.

FIG. 12 shows a schematic shape of a camera unit 50 as still another embodiment of the present invention. The casing 51 of the camera unit 50 of the present embodiment has a hemispherical shape, and the video camera 12 can change the imaging direction not only about a substantially horizontal axis but also about a substantially vertical axis. For this reason, transparent windows 5
2 is also hemispherical, and if the camera unit 50 is installed at one location, it is possible to change the imaging direction in many directions to capture an image. The imaging direction of the video camera 12 is set to 2
The direction changing mechanism 53 that changes the axis is realized by, for example, angularly displacing the entire direction changing mechanism 20 shown in FIG. 5 around a substantially vertical axis.

FIG. 13 shows a schematic electrical configuration for controlling the direction in which the camera unit 50 captures images in the embodiment of FIG. The direction changing mechanism 53 shown in FIG. 12 includes a horizontal motor 5 for angularly displacing the imaging direction about a substantially horizontal axis.
4 and a vertical motor 55 that makes angular displacement about a substantially vertical axis. The horizontal motor 54 is a rotational force transmission mechanism similar to the motor 21 shown in FIG. 5, and causes the video camera 12 to perform angular displacement about a substantially horizontal axis. The vertical motor 55 angularly displaces the entire direction changing mechanism 20 shown in FIG. 5 around a substantially vertical axis. The horizontal motor 54 and the vertical motor 55 are electrically driven by drive circuits 56 and 57, respectively. The horizontal motor 54 and the vertical motor 55 are, for example, pulse motors.
57 is angularly displaced in accordance with the number of driving pulses. The number of pulses corresponding to a specific imaging direction is stored in the memory 58 as data. The driving state input circuit 59 outputs a signal indicating a driving state of the vehicle, for example, a vehicle speed, a traveling direction, a steering angle, and the like, to various on-vehicle electric control units (ECs).
U) or the like. The processing circuit 60 determines the driving state of the vehicle based on the signal input to the driving state input circuit 59, selects data stored in the memory 58, and selects the horizontal motor 54 and the vertical motor 55 according to the selected data. And the switching of the imaging direction as described with reference to FIG. 1 can be automatically performed according to the driving state. When the horizontal motor 54 is driven to change the imaging direction beyond 90 °, for example, when switching from front imaging to rear imaging, the image is inverted by the inversion circuit 61 and displayed. When displayed on the display unit 36, the image is turned upside down and is difficult to see. The concept of inverting an image whose imaging direction has been changed around a horizontal axis using such an inversion circuit 61 is based on a camera unit 10 that changes the imaging direction in one axis as shown in FIGS. 40 can also be applied.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, the imaging direction of a camera can be changed in a waterproof casing. Images can be taken as needed.

Further, according to the present invention, the in-vehicle image pickup device can be easily attached to the vehicle body using a magnet.

Further, according to the present invention, an in-vehicle imaging device is provided.
The bracket can be joined to the vehicle body and attached to any position on the vehicle body.

Further, according to the present invention, even if the imaging direction of the camera is changed by the direction changing mechanism, the window is formed in a shape along the locus drawn by the tip of the camera, so that the window moves away from the tip of the camera. Therefore, it is possible to effectively capture an image through the window.

Further, according to the present invention, the casing can be formed so as to be small and have low air resistance, and can be housed so that the imaging direction of the camera can be changed inside.

According to the present invention, even if the imaging direction of the camera is changed by more than 90 ° around the horizontal axis, the image is inverted by the inverting circuit, so that the image of the camera can be displayed in a legible manner. Can be.

According to the present invention, since the window is water-repellent, even if the imaging device is mounted outside the vehicle body,
Rainwater or the like hardly adheres to the surface of the window, and even if it adheres, it is blown off by the wind accompanying the traveling, so that a good image can be captured.

According to the present invention, the imaging direction can be easily adjusted to the direction stored in the memory.

According to the present invention, it is possible to switch to one imaging direction selected from a plurality of imaging directions stored in the memory according to the driving state of the vehicle. It can be used effectively to capture a useful image according to the driving state of the vehicle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a simplified plan view showing a state in which imaging devices 11 to 15 according to an embodiment of the present invention are mounted on a vehicle 6. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image captured by the imaging devices 1 to 5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic shape of the camera unit 10 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the camera unit 10 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the direction changing mechanism 20 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration for controlling an imaging direction of the camera unit 10 of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a schematic shape of the operation unit 31 shown in FIG.

8 is a front view and a plan view of an upper portion 18 of the casing 11 shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion 18 of the casing 11 as viewed from a section line IX-IX of FIG. 8B.

FIG. 10 shows a camera unit 4 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a reference numeral 0.

11 is a plan view of the bottom surface of the bracket 41 of FIG.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a camera unit 50 according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

13 is a block diagram showing a schematic electrical configuration for controlling the imaging direction of the camera unit 50 in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1-5 imaging device 6 vehicle 10,40,50 camera unit 11,51 casing 12 video camera 13 imaging lens 14,52 window 15 magnet 17 microphone 18 upper part 20,53 direction changing mechanism 21 motor 30 camera control part 31 operation part 33, 60 processing circuit 36 display unit 41 bracket 54 horizontal motor 55 vertical motor 58 memory 59 operation state input circuit 61 inversion circuit

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification FI FI Theme Court II (Reference) H04N 7/18 H04N 7/18 J (72) Inventor Tadamasa Yamashita 1-2-28 Goshodori, Hyogo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture No.F-term in Fujitsu Ten Limited (reference)

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An imaging camera, a direction changing mechanism for changing an imaging direction of the camera, and a camera and a direction changing mechanism are surrounded, and at least a part of a change range of the imaging direction of the camera by the direction changing mechanism is transparent. An in-vehicle image pickup device, comprising: a casing having a transparent window; a waterproof casing; and an attachment mechanism for attaching a casing containing a camera and a direction changing mechanism to a vehicle body. 2. The on-vehicle imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism includes a magnet for attracting the vehicle body. 3. The mounting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the mounting mechanism includes a bracket that can be joined to a surface of a vehicle body, is fixed to the casing, and has a fixed angle that can be adjusted.
An in-vehicle imaging device according to the above. 4. The window according to claim 1, wherein the window has a shape along a locus drawn by a tip of the camera in accordance with a change in an imaging direction of the camera by the direction change mechanism.
An in-vehicle imaging device according to any one of the above. 5. The casing according to claim 1, wherein the casing has an internal shape that allows a change in the imaging direction of the camera by the direction changing mechanism, and has an external shape with low air resistance. An in-vehicle imaging device according to any one of the above. 6. The direction changing mechanism can change the imaging direction of the camera around a horizontal axis by more than 90 °, and the direction changing mechanism can change the imaging direction of the camera by more than 90 °. The in-vehicle imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an inverting circuit that inverts an image captured by the camera when the image is changed around the axis. 7. The on-vehicle imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the window is subjected to a water-repellent treatment. 8. A memory capable of storing an imaging direction of the camera which is changed by the direction changing mechanism, and controlling the direction changing mechanism when the imaging direction of the camera is different from the imaging direction stored in the memory. 8. The on-vehicle imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising: a control circuit for adjusting an imaging direction to a stored direction. 9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores a plurality of image capturing directions, and the control circuit selects the image capturing direction stored in the memory according to a driving state of the vehicle. 8. The on-vehicle imaging device according to 8.