Driving assistance device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10322673-B2
Application number	US-201415112887-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2014
Priority date	Jan 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

A driving assistance device includes: an imaging unit; a projection unit that projects an image based on image information from the imaging unit toward a projection surface; and an adjustment unit that is configured to form image information that an image sensor of the imaging unit acquires to be adjusted image information that is adjusted for the projection surface, wherein the adjustment unit includes an optical correction structure that causes the image sensor to acquire the adjusted image information by optical correction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A driving assistance device comprising:
an imaging unit disposed at an outer side of a front pillar of a vehicle;
a projector disposed inside the vehicle and configured to project an image based on image information acquired from the imaging unit toward a projection surface disposed at an inner side of the front pillar; and
an optical correction structure that is configured to cause an image sensor of the imaging unit to acquire adjusted image information that is adjusted for the projection surface by optical correction, the optical correction performed by disposing the image sensor inclined by an angle θ relative to a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the imaging unit, the angle θ being determined in advance based on a distance between the projector and the projection surface.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical correction structure includes a sensor disposition structure in which the image sensor is disposed to be curved.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical correction structure includes an optical member that refracts or reflects an image non-symmetrically with respect to an optical axis of the imaging unit.

4. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical correction structure is provided in the imaging unit.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein,
in a plan view, the imaging unit is disposed on a line of extension of a line of sight from an eye point of a driver toward a vehicle member at which the projection surface is formed, and
the imaging unit images a vehicle exterior region that constitutes a blind spot caused by the vehicle member.

6. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein,
in a plan view, an imaging direction of the imaging unit matches the direction of a line of sight from an eye point of a driver toward a vehicle member at which the projection surface is formed, and
the imaging unit images a vehicle exterior region that constitutes a blind spot caused by the vehicle member.

7. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical correction structure is configured to cause the adjusted image information to be formed at or before a time when the adjusted image information is acquired by the image sensor.

8. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the adjusted image information is adjusted for the projection surface without correction by image processing.

9. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein a correction coefficient K of the optical correction is defined by:
K=S 2/ S 1
and the angle θ is set such that the correction coefficient K is satisfying:
d 1/ L 1= K×d 2/ L 2,

where L 1 is a distance from the projector to a position A of the projection surface, L 2 is a distance from the projector to another position C of the projection surface, d 1 is a distance from position A of the projection surface to an eye point EP of an occupant of the vehicle, and d 2 is a distance from position C of the projection surface to the eye point EP, and
where S 1 is a distance between positions a 1 and b 1 , S 2 is a distance between positions b 1 and c 1 , where b 1 is a position where the optical axis of the imaging unit intersects the image sensor, a 1 is a focusing position of an image at the image sensor to be projected on position A, and c 1 is a focusing position of the image at the image sensor to be projected on position C.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kondo Toru
• Sugie Kazuki
• Ishiguro Yoko

Classifications

• G06T2207/30252

  Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle · CPC title

• G02B3/02

  with non-spherical faces (G02B3/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R2300/202

  displaying a blind spot scene on the vehicle part responsible for the blind spot · CPC title

• G02B2027/0138

  comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera · CPC title

• G02B27/01

  Head-up displays · CPC title