Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-26
2002-06-25
Arthur, Gertrude (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
C701S023000, C701S041000, C701S072000, C340S901000, C340S937000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06411867
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a driving support system which displays information for supporting the operation of a vehicle in conjunction with an image showing a view toward the direction in which the vehicle is traveling. Further, the present invention relates to a steering angle detection device for detecting a steering angle of the vehicle on the basis of driving support information.
2. Description of Related Art
Sufficient ascertaining of the surroundings of a vehicle is necessary for accomplishing safe driving. The driver ascertains the surroundings of his vehicle primarily by means of the sense of sight. Since the driver has to look outside the vehicle from the driver's seat in the vehicle's cabin, the driver's field of view is obstructed by the vehicle body. In order to ensure the driver's field of view, a proposal has hitherto been made for supporting a driver's operation by means of displaying an image of the outside of the vehicle on a display panel located in the vicinity of the driver's seat, through use of an image pick-up device, such as a video camera, attached to the vehicle.
The present inventor has hitherto made various proposals for supporting such an image-based driver's operation, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 288255/1998, 301207/1998, 301208/1998, 353425/1998, 353426/1998, and 179718/1999.
Vehicle driving support is effective particularly when an attempt is made to park a vehicle. As a conventional art technique for supporting a driver's parking operation, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 14700/1989 describes a technique of displaying, on a screen, an image concerning a rearward or rear oblique when the vehicle is rolling backward and a predicted path of the vehicle. According to the prior technique, an image of predicted path based on a steering angle of the vehicle is displayed with and is superimposed on a rearview image. Accordingly, it is predicted that the driver can simultaneously ascertain a steering angle and the rearward safety of the vehicle. There is also described the idea of displaying the contour of a vehicle so as to be superimposed on the vehicle's predicted path, thereby facilitating the driver's intuitive ascertainment of distance. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 44799/1995 describes a conventional art technique of detecting the length of a parking space through use of various sensors and assisting a driver's operation by means of informing the driver of whether or not the vehicle can be parked in the parking space in a case where the driver attempts to park his vehicle between vehicles arranged end to end or put his vehicle into a garage. The patent application also describes that the amount of steering operation is computed from data pertaining to the position of a parking space and data pertaining to the characteristics of a vehicle, to thereby provide a display for driving support purpose or perform an automatic control operation.
Conventional art techniques for supporting driving operations by means of capturing an image of surroundings of a vehicle are described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 150044/1982 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 239400/1992, 143894/1993, 255423/1994, 192199/1995, 257482/1998, and 283592/1998.
Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 150044/1982 describes the technique of supporting driving operation by means of switching a screen of a display from a normal screen image for indicating selected information under normal operation to an anomalous display screen for indicating information about an anomalous state. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 239400/1992 describes the technique of capturing images of surroundings in desired locations through use of a camera which is attached to the vehicle's ceiling by way of a rotary pan head and which is rotatable through 360° in a horizontal direction, subjecting the thus-captured images to image processing so as to make them easily readable for the driver, and displaying the thus-processed images on a display unit simultaneously or in a split screen, as required. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 143894/1993 describes the technique of capturing images of a vehicle in a left forward direction, a forward direction, and a right forward direction of the vehicle through use of three cameras, displaying the thus-displayed images in a three-way split screen, and changing the proportion of the display area of the leftward image to the display area of the rightward image within the split display in accordance with a steering angle. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 255423/1994 describes the technique of displaying an image captured by a camera together with range scales based on a distance measured by a range sensor, and displaying an image concerning surroundings of obstacles in a scaled-up manner, in a size so as to match the distance, thereby assisting driving operation. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 192199/1995 describes the technique of three-dimensionally analyzing an obstacle on the basis of a stereoscopic image, computing the distance between an extension of the side of a vehicle and the obstacle, computing a clearance between the vehicle and the obstacle, and displaying the thus-computed clearance when the vehicle passes through a narrow path. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 257482/1998 describes the technique of displaying an image in the form of a seamless single frame by means of merging a rearview, a left-side view, and a right-side view of the vehicle into a single image. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 283592/1998 describes the technique of three-dimensionally analyzing an image captured by a camera, determining the chance of contact arising between a vehicle and an obstacle, informing a driver of the result of determination, and displaying the spatial relationship between the vehicle and the obstacle.
Even when driving support is effected on the basis of an image, the driver must determine circumstances directly on the basis of his vision, and a display for assisting driving operation must be utilized for only auxiliary purpose. A limitation is imposed on the size of display means situated in the vicinity of a driver's seat. Display of a predicted path of a vehicle together with an image is preferable for effectively assisting driving operation. A predicted path of the vehicle corresponds to information—which the driver can never gain by means of looking directly at surroundings—and is very useful.
A predicted path of the vehicle displayed in an image captured by a camera or the like should be changed by an angle of the camera mounted on a vehicle body, a steering angle of the vehicle, the width of the vehicle body, and a wheelbase. A path cannot be accurately predicted without matching data pertaining to these items with an actual vehicle, and hence effective driving support cannot be effected. In terms of productivity of manufactured products, a driving support system is desirably mountable on vehicles of many types. Preferably, required data can be readily input in accordance with the specifications of an individual vehicle. Further, under the present circumstances, a vehicle is not usually provided with a sensor for detecting the steering angle of a vehicle, which is required for predicting a path. Therefore, simplest detection of a steering angle is desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle driving support system and a steering angle detection device, which easily compensates for a difference in specifications of a vehicle on which the system is to be mounted, and which enables highly-accurate support.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a vehicle driving support system which captures an image of the surroundings of a vehicle through use of a camera and displays on display means driving
Sakiyama Kazuhiro
Sako Kazuya
Toshihiro Shimizu
Arthur Gertrude
Fujitsu Ten Limited
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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