Driving support device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10442408-B2
Application number	US-201815955192-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2018
Priority date	May 24, 2017
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A driving support device includes a camera (21) for taking an image of a peripheral region of an own vehicle through a protection window (211), and a driving support module (10) for displaying a peripheral region screen on a display (50), to thereby support driving of the own vehicle by a driver. The device further includes a washer (22) capable of selectively carrying out any one of air washing of spraying air toward the protection window without spraying liquid and liquid washing of spraying liquid toward the protection window, and a switch section (530) for receiving an operation of instructing which of the air washing and the liquid washing is carried out. The driving support module causes the washer to carry out the air washing when a first operation is carried out; and cause the washer to carry out the liquid washing when a second operation is carried out.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driving support device, comprising:
a camera, which includes a protection window, and is configured to take an image of a peripheral region of an own vehicle through the protection window;
a display, which is configured to display a peripheral region screen including the image taken by the camera;
a electronic control unit, which is configured to display the peripheral region screen on the display, to thereby support driving of the own vehicle by a driver;
a washer, which is capable of selectively carrying out any one of air washing of spraying air toward the protection window in order to wash the protection window without spraying liquid and liquid washing of spraying liquid toward the protection window in order to wash the protection window; and
a switch, which is configured to be operated by the driver and to detect an operation of the switch by the driver that indicates which of the air washing and the liquid washing is to be carried out,
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
cause the washer to carry out the air washing when a first operation is detected at the switch; and
cause the washer to carry out the liquid washing when a second operation is detected at the switch.

2. The driving support device according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the display includes a touch panel capable of displaying the peripheral region screen,
the switch includes a switch of a touch detection type, which is capable of detecting a touch operation on the peripheral region screen displayed on the touch panel, and
the electronic control unit is configured to determine which of the first operation and the second operation is carried out based on an operation mode of the touch operation.

3. The driving support device according to claim 2 ,
wherein,
the camera includes a plurality of cameras, the washer includes a plurality of washers, and the switch includes a plurality of switches,
the respective plurality of cameras are arranged so as to take images of regions different from one another within the peripheral region,
the respective plurality of washers are provided to the respective plurality of cameras,
the electronic control unit is configured to display the images taken by the respective plurality of cameras on the touch panel so that the images taken by the respective plurality of cameras form individual regions corresponding to the respective plurality of cameras on the peripheral region screen,
the plurality of switches are provided for the respective individual regions, and
the electronic control unit is configured to determine which of the first operation and the second operation is carried out for each of the plurality of washers provided to the respective plurality of cameras corresponding to the respective individual regions based on an operation mode of the touch operation for each of the individual regions.

4. The driving support device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to:
determine that the first operation is carried out when a continuation period of the touch operation is shorter than a threshold period; and
determine that the second operation is carried out when the continuation period of the touch operation is equal to or longer than the threshold period.

5. The driving support device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cause the washer to spray the liquid and then spray the air alone toward the protection window when causing the washer to carry out the liquid washing.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Higuchi Kazuma

Classifications

• G02B2027/0187

  slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye · CPC title

• G02B2027/014

  comprising information/image processing systems · CPC title

• G02B2027/0138

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

• G02B27/01

  Head-up displays · CPC title

• G02B27/00

  Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00 · CPC title