Image display apparatus for displaying a view outside a vehicle as activated when occupant gets out of the vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10549696-B2
Application number	US-201815954676-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2018
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

An image display apparatus includes: cameras each configured to take an image representing a view outside a vehicle; displays each configured to display the image taken by a corresponding one of the cameras; and a controller configured to control the cameras and the displays. The controller detects a first action that is a preliminary action taken by an occupant of the vehicle to get out of the vehicle in a state in which the cameras and the displays are not activated. When the first action is detected, the controller activates at least one of the cameras and at least one of the displays and control the at least one of the displays to display an image taken by the at least one of the cameras.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image display apparatus, comprising:
a driver's-seat-side camera provided at a driver's seat side of a vehicle and configured to take an image representing a view outside the vehicle;
as assistant-driver's-seat-side camera provided at an assistant-driver's seat side of the vehicle and configured to take an image representing a view outside the vehicle;
a driver's-seat-side display provided at the driver's seat side of the vehicle and configured to display the image taken by the driver's-seat-side camera;
an assistant-driver's-seat-side display provided at the assistant-driver's seat side of the vehicle and configured to display the image taken by the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera;
a driver's-seat-side detector provided at the driver's seat side of the vehicle and configured to detect a preliminary action taken by an occupant of the vehicle to get out of the vehicle via a driver's-seat-side door of the vehicle;
an assistant-driver's-seat-side detector provided at the assistant-driver's seat side of the vehicle and configured to detect a preliminary action taken by an occupant of the vehicle to get out of the vehicle via an assistant-driver's-seat-side door of the vehicle; and
a controller configured to:
detect, as a first action, the preliminary action detected by the driver's-seat-side detector or the preliminary action detected by the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector in a state in which the driver's-seat-side camera, the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera, the driver's-seat-side display, and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display are not activated; and

when the first action is the preliminary action detected by the driver's-seat-side detector, activate the driver's-seat-side camera and the driver's-seat-side display, without activating the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display, to display an image taken by the driver's-seat-side camera; and
when the first action is the preliminary action detected by the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector, activate the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display, without activating the driver's-seat-side camera and the driver's-seat-side display, to display an image taken by the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the driver's-seat-side detector is configured to detect a second action that is a change in a state of the driver's-seat-side door of the vehicle from a closed state to an open state;
the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector is configured to detect a second action that is a change in a state of the assistant-driver's-seat-side door of the vehicle from a closed state to an open state; and
the controller is configured to:
detect, as the first action, the second action detected by the driver's-seat-side detector or the second action detected by the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector in the state in which the driver's-seat-side camera, the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera, the driver's-seat-side display, and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display are not activated;
when the first action is the second action detected by the driver's-seat-side detector, activate the driver's-seat-side camera and the driver's-seat-side display, without activating the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display, to display an image taken by the driver's-seat-side camera; and
when first action is the second action detected by the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector, activate the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display, without activating the driver's-seat-side camera and the driver's-seat-side display, to display an image taken by the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the driver's-seat-side detector is configured to detect a third action for opening the driver's-seat-side door of the vehicle;
the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector is configured to detect a third action for opening the assistant-driver's-seat-side door of the vehicle; and
the controller is configured to:
detect, as the first action, the third action detected by the driver's-seat-side detector or the third action detected by the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector in the state in which the driver's-seat-side camera, the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera, the driver's-seat-side display, and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display are not activated;
when the first action is the third action detected by the driver's-seat-side detector, activate the driver's-seat-side camera and the driver's-seat-side display, without activating the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display, to display an image taken by the driver's-seat-side camera; and
when the first action is the third action detected by the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector, activate the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display, without activating the driver's-seat-side camera and the driver's-seat-side display, to display an image taken by the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the driver's-seat-side detector is configured to detect a fourth action taken by the occupant to move off a driver's-seat-side seat of the vehicle;
the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector is configured to detect a fourth action taken by the occupant to move off an assistant-driver's-seat-side seat of the vehicle; and
the controller is configured to:
detect, as the first action, the fourth action detected by the driver's-seat-side detector or the fourth action detected by the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector in the state in which the driver's-seat-side camera, the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera, the driver's-seat-side display, and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display are not activated;
when the first action is the fourth action detected by the driver's-seat-side detector, activate the driver's-seat-side camera and the driver's-seat-side display, without activating the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display, to display an image taken by the driver's-seat-side camera; and
when the first action is the fourth action detected by the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector, activate the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display, without activating the driver's-seat-side camera and the driver's-seat-side display, to display an image taken by the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the driver's-seat-side detector is configured to detect a first operation performed on driver's-seat-side equipment of the vehicle by the occupant to get out of the vehicle;
the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector is configured to detect a first operation performed on assistant-driver's-seat-side equipment of the vehicle by the occupant to get out of the vehicle; and
the controller is configured to:
detect, as the first action, the first operation detected by the driver's-seat-side detector or the first operation detected by the assistant-driver's-seat-side detector in the state in which the driver's-seat-side camera, the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera, the driver's-seat-side display, and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display are not activated;
when the first action is the first operation detected by the driver's-seat-side detector, activate the driver's-seat-side camera and the driver's-seat-side display, without activating the assistant-driver's-seat-side camera and the assistant-driver's-seat-side display, to display an image taken by the driver's-seat-

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Inoue Shimon

Classifications

• B60R2300/8066

  for monitoring rearward traffic · CPC title

• B60R2300/40

  characterised by the details of the power supply or the coupling to vehicle components · CPC title

• B60R2300/105

  using multiple cameras · CPC title

• B60R2300/404

  triggering from stand-by mode to operation mode · CPC title

• B60R2300/70

  characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images · CPC title