Optical: systems and elements – Prism
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-07
2004-09-07
Cherry, Euncha P. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Prism
Reexamination Certificate
active
06788478
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle periphery visual confirming apparatus which, under a poor visibility condition, takes a picture of a peripheral scene before or behind a vehicle, or, on the right- or left-side scene of the vehicle, that is, the scene of a blind spot to a driver and displays the picture of the scene to the driver.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional vehicle periphery visual confirming apparatus
1
, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 7
, comprises a picture camera apparatus
11
disposed on a front bumper
17
of a vehicle
16
to take pictures of the two side scenes of the vehicle
16
, a mirror image reversal processing part
12
for mirror-image processing picture signals supplied from the picture camera apparatus
11
, and a display part
15
disposed within a vehicle room for displaying the picture images obtained from the mirror image reversal processing part
12
.
The picture camera apparatus
11
comprises: a lightproof case
3
on the two sides of which there are formed a pair of left and right penetration window portions
2
L,
2
R; a prism
4
having an isosceles-triangular-shaped section stored in the interior portion of the case
3
and disposed in such an attitude that its vertical angle portion
5
faces the front portion of the case
3
and its left and right prism side surfaces
8
L,
8
R respectively face the left and right penetration window portions
2
L,
2
R; and, an imaging device
10
stored and disposed in the rear of the rear surface
8
B of the prism
4
through an imaging lens
9
.
In this structure, light rays
18
L, which have entered from the penetration window portion
2
L and have penetrated through the prism side surface
8
L, are reflected by the internal surface of the other prism side surface
8
R and are then guided through the imaging lens
9
onto the left half surface
10
L of the imaging surface of the imaging device
10
. On the other hand, light rays
18
R, which have entered from the penetration window portion
2
R and have penetrated through the prism side surface
8
R, are reflected by the internal surface of the other prism side surface
8
L and are then guided through the imaging lens
9
onto the right half surface
10
R of the imaging surface of the imaging device
10
. That is, the pictures of the two right- and left-side scenes can be taken at the same time by the imaging device
10
.
And, the image signals of the pictures of the scenes taken by the imaging device
10
are mirror-image-reversal processed by the mirror image reversal processing part
12
and are then output to the display part
15
; and, the left-side scene introduced from the penetration window portion
2
L into the left half screen
15
L of the display part
15
is displayed as the left-side scene images, whereas the right-side scene introduced from the penetration window portion
2
R into the right half screen
15
R of the display part
15
is displayed as the right-side scene images.
However, actually, as shown in
FIG. 7
, in the light rays
18
R which have entered the vertical angle adjacent area
5
R of the prism side surface
8
R, there exist light rays such as light rays
18
Ra which, after they are reflected by the internal surface of the prism side surface
8
L and are penetrated through the imaging lens
9
, are not guided to the right half surface
10
R of the imaging surface of the imaging device
10
but are guided to a boundary area
10
La on the left half surface
10
L side. In this case, the light rays
18
R of the right-side scene are taken in from the penetration window portion
2
L by the imaging device
10
and are mingled with the light rays
18
L of the left-side scene guided to the same boundary area
10
La, before they are converted into image signals. And, in a boundary area
10
Ra on the right half surface
10
R side of the imaging surface as well, because they are symmetric, there occurs a similar phenomenon.
As a result of this, there arises the following problem: that is, the images to be displayed on the display part
15
, as shown in
FIG. 9
, are displayed in the screen central portion
23
of the display part
15
in such a manner that the left-side scene images
19
L and right-side scene images
19
R are overlapped with each other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at eliminating the above drawbacks found in the conventional vehicle periphery visual confirming apparatus. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a vehicle periphery visual confirming apparatus capable of preventing one-side scene images and the-other-side scene images from being displayed in such a manner that they are overlapped together in the central portion of the display screen.
In attaining the above object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle periphery visual confirming apparatus comprising a picture camera apparatus disposed on the outside of a vehicle, the picture camera apparatus comprising: a case including a pair of right and left penetration window portions respectively formed on the two sides thereof; a prism having an isosceles-triangular-shaped section and disposed within the case in such an attitude that its vertical angle portion faces the front portion of the case and its right and left prism side surfaces corresponding to the two equal sides of its isosceles triangle shape respectively face the right and right penetration window portions; an imaging lens disposed in the rear of the prism rear surface; and, an imaging device which is disposed in the rear of the imaging lens and also which, when light rays entering from one of the right and left prism side surfaces are reflected by the other of the right and left prism side surfaces and are radiated from the prism rear surface of the prism, focuses the light rays onto an imaging surface of the imaging device through the imaging lens to thereby convert the light rays into image signals, characterized by preventive means which is disposed in the vertical angle portion of the prism and also which, when light rays penetrate through one of the penetration window portions and one of the vertical angle adjacent areas of the prism side surfaces sequentially, are reflected by the internal surface of the other-side prism side surface, are radiated from the prism rear surface, and are focused through the imaging lens onto the other-side half surface area of the imaging surface of the imaging device, can be prevent such light rays from advancing into the prism through the vertical angle adjacent areas of the two prism side surfaces.
According to a second aspect of the invention, in a vehicle periphery visual confirming apparatus as set forth in the first aspect of the invention, the preventive means is means formed by chamfering the vertical angle portion of the prism in such a manner that the vertical angle adjacent areas of the two prism side surfaces are cut away from the prism.
According to a third aspect of the invention, in a vehicle periphery visual confirming apparatus as set forth in the first aspect of the invention, the preventive means is a light shielding member disposed in the vertical angle adjacent areas of the two prism side surfaces so as to cover them.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in a vehicle periphery visual confirming apparatus as set forth in the third aspect of the invention, the light shielding member is formed integral with the case.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, in a vehicle periphery visual confirming apparatus as set forth in the third aspect of the invention, the light shielding member is formed integral with a prism fixing member for fixing the prism to the case.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in a vehicle periphery visual confirming apparatus as set forth in the second aspect of the invention, the preventive means further includes a light shielding member disposed at the chamfered area of the prism. The light shielding member may be formed integrally with a prism fixing
Autonetworks Technologies Ltd.
Cherry Euncha P.
LandOfFree
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