JP3902347B2 - Vehicle surrounding information notification device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle surrounding information notifying device for notifying an occupant of a vehicle of a state of an obstacle or the like existing around the vehicle, for example, to a surrounding information notifying device for an automobile that is a typical vehicle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-39658 has proposed a device that captures an image of a state around a vehicle using an infrared camera and displays the captured image in front of a driver's seat. According to this device, even if the headlight is turned on, even in situations around the vehicle that are difficult for the driver to recognize due to human visual characteristics (for example, nighttime, dense fog, etc.), obstacles that actually exist Thus, the driver can easily grasp such a state, and can effectively support the driving operation.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional apparatus, there is a possibility that the driver may drive the vehicle without turning on the headlight because of its high driving supportability. Such a vehicle in which the headlight is not turned on in a nighttime or dense fog situation is not easy to recognize from the outside of the vehicle, and is not preferable for safety.
[0004]
Accordingly, the present invention provides a vehicle surrounding information notification device that efficiently notifies information about the surroundings of the vehicle and prevents deterioration of visibility from the outside of the vehicle due to traveling in a state in which the light of the vehicle is not lit. For the purpose of provision.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle surrounding information notification device according to the present invention is characterized by the following configuration.
[0006]
That is, an infrared camera that is provided in a vehicle and images the front of the vehicle using infrared rays, a display that displays an image captured by the infrared camera in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle, and a light provided in the vehicle A light operating state detecting means for detecting the operating state of the display, and a display control means for causing the display to display an image when the light operating state detecting means detects that the light is operating , A light on / off switch capable of turning on / off the light, and vehicle position detecting means for detecting whether or not the vehicle is located in a tunnel, wherein the display control means includes the light on / off switch. When the vehicle is in the on state, the display device displays an image, while the vehicle position detecting means detects that the vehicle is located in the tunnel. If the the light on-off switch is characterized in that even in the off state causes the display of the image on the display unit.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a vehicle surrounding information notification device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as an embodiment of a surrounding information notification device mounted on an automobile which is a typical vehicle.
[0012]
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a vehicle on which a surrounding information notification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted. FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram of the surrounding information notification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0013]
1 and 2, reference numeral 2 denotes an infrared camera that images the front of the vehicle 100. Reference numeral 3 denotes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or a head-up display that displays an image captured by the infrared camera 2. The infrared camera 2 has an imaging range shown in FIG. 3, for example, and FIG. 4 shows an example of a display screen in front of the vehicle imaged by the camera and displayed on the display device 3.
[0014]
Reference numeral 4 denotes a headlight switch that can turn on / off a headlight (including a small light, a position lamp, and a fog lamp) 5 of the vehicle 100. Reference numeral 6 denotes a GPS sensor that receives a GPS (Global Positioning System) signal. Reference numeral 9 denotes a sunshine sensor such as Cds that detects the brightness outside the vehicle 100. 7 detects the current position of the vehicle 100 based on output signals of the GPS sensor 6 and the sunshine sensor 9 and map information obtained from the road map database 8 such as a CD-ROM reader, and at least the vehicle is in the tunnel. It is a tunnel state judging device that judges whether or not it is located. For example, a general navigation control unit may be used for the tunnel state determination device. Reference numeral 11 denotes a brake switch whose state changes in response to an operation of the brake (parking brake) 10. Reference numeral 12 denotes a display on / off switch that can turn on / off display of an image on the display device 3 by the display control device 1.
[0015]
The display control device 1 displays an image captured by the infrared camera 2 based on the operation state of the headlight switch 5, the brake switch 11, and the display on / off switch 12 and the determination result by the tunnel state determination device 7. 3, and whether or not the headlight 4 is turned on (details will be described later). The control processing by the display control device 1 is executed by the CPU 101 according to software stored in advance in the ROM 103 or the like while using the RAM 102 as a work area.
[0016]
Reference numeral 13 denotes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle 100, and is used in a modification described later.
[0017]
Next, specific control processing performed by the display control device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.
[0018]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control process performed by the display control apparatus in the first embodiment of the present invention, and represents a process executed by the CPU 101.
[0019]
In the figure, Step S1: It is determined whether or not the display on / off switch 12 is set to ON. When NO (the switch 12 is in the OFF state), the display is disregarded with respect to the will of the driver and other passengers. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S6.
[0020]
Step S2: If YES in step S1 (switch 12 is on), it is determined whether or not the headlight switch 5 is set on. If YES (switch 5 is on), the headlight 4 is determined. Since the visibility from the outside of the vehicle due to the fact that is not lit does not occur, the process proceeds to step S5 to perform display.
[0021]
Step S3: When the determination in step S2 is NO (switch 5 is off), it is determined whether or not the determination result by the tunnel state determination device 7 represents the inside of the tunnel, and when YES (when the inside of the tunnel is represented). In general, the inside of the tunnel is illuminated by a lamp, and it is expected that the visibility from the outside of the vehicle will not be significantly deteriorated because the headlight 4 is not lit. move on. On the other hand, when the determination in step S3 is NO (when representing the outside of the tunnel), the vehicle 100 is driven on the basis of the image displayed on the display device 3 such as when the surrounding environment is nighttime or dense fog. Thus, the process proceeds to step S6 in order to prevent the vehicle 100 from being difficult to recognize from the outside.
[0022]
Step S4: When the determination in step S2 is NO (switch 5 is in an off state), it is determined whether or not the brake switch 11 is set to on. When NO (the switch 11 is in an off state), the surrounding environment is In order to prevent the vehicle 100 from being difficult to recognize from the outside by driving the vehicle 100 relying on the image displayed on the display device 3 such as at night or in dense fog, the process proceeds to step S6. . On the other hand, when the determination in step S4 is YES (the brake switch 11 is on), this indicates that the vehicle 100 is in the parking state, and the vehicle 100 is driven by relying on the image displayed on the display device 3. Since there is not, it progresses to step S5 in order to display.
[0023]
Step S5: The image captured by the infrared camera 2 is displayed on the display device 3, and the process returns.
[0024]
Step S6: The display on the display device 3 is turned off and the process returns.
[0025]
As described above, according to the surrounding information notification device in the present embodiment, the information around the vehicle is efficiently notified, and the visibility from the outside of the vehicle by traveling in a state where the headlight of the vehicle is not lit is provided. Can be prevented and safety can be improved.
[0026]
<Modification of First Embodiment>
(Modification 1) In the embodiment described above, the operation state of the display on / off switch 12 is determined in step S1 before the lighting state of the headlight is determined. In this modification, as shown by the broken line connecting the start step and step S2 in the flowchart of FIG. Turn off control. Even in this modified example in which such control is performed, it is possible to prevent deterioration of visibility from the outside of the vehicle due to traveling in a state where the headlight of the vehicle is not lit, and to improve safety. .
[0027]
(Modification 2) In the embodiment described above, when it is determined that the brake switch 11 is on in step S4 when the headlight 4 is not lit, the display on the display device 3 is displayed in step S6. Turned on. In this modification, even if the brake switch 11 is on and the parking brake is activated, the vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 13 in order to take into account the situation in which the driver has forgotten to run the vehicle. 100 own vehicle speed is added as a judgment factor. That is, when YES is determined in the step S4, it is further determined whether or not the own vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 13 is smaller than a predetermined speed, and when it is smaller (for example, when the own vehicle speed is zero), a display may be performed. Even in this modified example in which such control is performed, it is possible to prevent deterioration of visibility from the outside of the vehicle due to traveling in a state where the headlight of the vehicle is not lit, and to improve safety. .
[0028]
[Second Embodiment]
In the present embodiment, based on the device configuration of the ambient information notification device described in the first embodiment, the headlight switch is automatically operated to display an image on the display device 3 and the headlight 4. Link the lighting status. For this reason, in the following description, the characteristic part of the present embodiment will be mainly described, and a duplicate description will be omitted.
[0029]
FIG. 6 is a diagram conceptually illustrating the control performed by the display control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
[0030]
As shown in the figure, when a display on / off switch signal (displayed by 1 and not displayed by 0) is input, the display control device 1 is input to the display device 3 when an operation state of the display on / off switch 12 is input. A display control signal (display ON at 1, display OFF at 0) is output, and a headlight switch signal (indicating the operation state of the headlight switch 5 by the control operation of the light control module). When the status is 0 (on at 1 and off at 0), the headlight switch 5 is automatically turned on.
[0031]
Next, specific control processing performed by the CPU 101 of the display control apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
[0032]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control process performed by the display control apparatus in the second embodiment of the present invention, and is a flowchart showing an excerpt portion different from the flowchart of FIG.
[0033]
In the figure, Step S1: It is determined whether or not the display on / off switch 12 is set to ON. When NO (the switch 12 is in the OFF state), the display is disregarded with respect to the will of the driver and other passengers. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S6.
[0034]
Step S2, Step S11: If the determination in step S1 is YES (switch 12 is on), it is determined whether the headlight switch 5 is set on (step S2), and YES (switch 5 is on) ), The headlight switch 5 is automatically turned on (step S11), and the process proceeds to step S5 for display. On the other hand, when the determination in step S2 is NO (switch 5 is off), the process proceeds to step S3 and step S4.
[0035]
According to this embodiment that performs such control, the headlight 4 is automatically turned on when the display on / off switch 12 is set to on and the driver desires display on the display device 3. Further, it is possible to prevent deterioration of visibility from the outside of the vehicle due to traveling in a state where the headlight of the vehicle is not turned on, and safety can be improved.
[0036]
In each of the above-described embodiments, the control process by the display control device 1 is realized by software executed by the CPU 101. However, a similar control operation may be realized by dedicated hardware.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, information on the surroundings of the vehicle is efficiently notified, and deterioration of visibility from the outside of the vehicle due to traveling in a state where the light of the vehicle is not lit is prevented. Provision of a vehicle surrounding information notification device is realized.
[0038]
That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently notify information around the vehicle and to prevent deterioration of visibility from the outside of the vehicle due to traveling in a state where the light of the vehicle is not lit. In addition, the display operation on the display can be linked to the light on / off switch, and the vehicle is driven by relying on the image displayed on the display, which makes it difficult to recognize the vehicle from the outside. It can be prevented in advance. On the other hand, in general, tunnels are illuminated by lamps, and it is expected that there will be no noticeable deterioration in visibility from outside the vehicle due to the lights not being lit. It is possible to achieve both prevention of deterioration of visibility from the outside of the vehicle.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a vehicle equipped with a surrounding information notification device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram of a surrounding information notification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an imaging range by an infrared camera of the surrounding information notification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an imaging screen by an infrared camera of the surrounding information notification device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control process performed by the display control apparatus in the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram conceptually illustrating control performed by a display control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control process performed by the display control apparatus in the second embodiment of the present invention, and is a flowchart showing an excerpt portion different from the flowchart of FIG. 5;
[Explanation of symbols]
1: Display control device,
2: Infrared camera,
3: Display device,
4: Headlight,
5: Headlight switch,
6: GPS sensor,
7: Tunnel state determination device,
8: Road map database,
9: sunshine sensor,
10: Brake,
11: Brake switch,
12: Display on / off switch,
13: Vehicle speed sensor,
101: CPU,
102: RAM,
103: ROM,

Claims (1)

An infrared camera that is provided in the vehicle and images the front of the vehicle using infrared rays;
A display for displaying an image captured by the infrared camera in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle;
A light operating state detecting means for detecting an operating state of a light provided in the vehicle;
Display control means for causing the display to display an image when the light operating state detecting means detects that the light is operating;
A light on / off switch capable of turning the light on and off;
Vehicle position detection means for detecting whether or not the vehicle is located in a tunnel ,
The display control means causes the display to display an image when the light on / off switch is in an on state, while the vehicle position detecting means detects that the vehicle is located in the tunnel. and if, around the information notifying apparatus vehicles you characterized in that the write on-off switch causes the display of images on the display even in the off state.

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