Patent Application
20170313252
The present invention relates to an electronic mirror device that is mounted to a vehicle or the like.
Conventionally, an electronic mirror device including a semi-transparent mirror on a front surface of a video display portion is known. There are cases where a driver of a vehicle with the electronic mirror device finds it difficult to check behind with a mirror function due to a person, luggage, and the like inside the vehicle blocking his or her rearward view. In such a case, the electronic mirror device displays, on the video display portion, vehicle rearview camera images captured by a camera mounted to the vehicle, and the driver can check behind by watching the camera images (see Patent Literature (PTL) 1, for example).
PTL 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. H11-291817
The present invention provides an electronic mirror device capable of promptly displaying camera images upon switching to the camera images.
An electronic mirror device according to the present invention includes a display, a controller that controls the display, a switching portion, and a preliminary starter. The display includes a main case having an opening, a video display portion, and a semi-transparent mirror. The video display portion includes a display screen and displays camera images captured by a camera. The semi-transparent mirror is located between the display screen of the video display portion and the opening of the main case and displays a mirror reflection. The switching portion causes the display to switch between displaying the camera images and the mirror reflection. The preliminary starter preliminarily starts up the controller and the display before the switching portion causes the display to display the camera images.
The electronic mirror device having the above-described configuration is capable of promptly displaying the camera images upon switching from the mirror reflection to the camera images.
Prior to the description of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a problem with the conventional electronic mirror device will be briefly described. With the conventional electronic mirror device, upon switching from the mirror reflection on the semi-transparent mirror to the camera images, an imaging element of the camera, a video display device, or the like takes time for starting up them. This causes a delay in checking behind by the driver.
Hereinafter, an electronic mirror device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as an example in a case where the electronic mirror device is mounted to a vehicle.
In vehicle 1, in a front area between driver's seat 3 and front passenger's seat 4 in vehicle compartment 2, display 5 which is included in electronic mirror device 500 is attached to attachment 6, at a rearview mirror attachment position in such a manner as to be tiltable for adjustment. Camera 7 that captures vehicle rearview images and transmits image signals to electronic mirror device 500 is attached to the rear of vehicle 1.
Electronic mirror device 500 has a camera-image mode and a mirror mode. In the camera-image mode, liquid-crystal panel 503 is activated, and backlight 504 is turned ON, to display, on display screen 50 of display 5, the camera images captured by camera 7. In the mirror mode, backlight 504 is turned OFF, and the mirror reflection on semi-transparent mirror 502 is displayed on display screen 50.
The camera-image mode and the mirror mode are switched with switching lever 506 as the switching portion. In
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Controller 507 includes: a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls operations; a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a control program is stored; and a RAM (Random Access Memory) in which data to be temporarily held, control data, and the like are stored. Detector controller 508 receives a signal from infrared sensor 505, and when infrared sensor 505 detects body part 8 of an operator, gives controller 507 an instruction for performing a preliminary start-up.
Infrared sensor 505 is a detector that detects an operating movement made by the operator to switch from the mirror mode to the camera-image mode. As illustrated in
Note that as a result of preliminary starter 509 preliminarily starting up infrared sensor 505 and detector controller 508, electronic mirror device 500 can be preliminarily started up without requiring the operator to perform a separate preliminary start-up operation. Furthermore, the operator can perform the preliminary start-up without needing to remember or be aware of how to perform the preliminary start-up operation. Therefore, electronic mirror device 500 is very user friendly.
Furthermore, since infrared sensor 505 covers the area around switching lever 506 as the detection area, an operating movement of the operator can be easily detected. Therefore, electronic mirror device 500 rarely malfunctions and thus is very user friendly.
Generally, the capacity of a battery power supply mounted on vehicle 1 is limited, and therefore it is necessary to minimize power consumption. For this reason, it is desirable that when electronic mirror device 500 is used in the mirror mode, power supply to liquid-crystal panel 503, backlight 504, camera 7, and controller 507 for driving and controlling these elements be minimized. However, the elements such as liquid-crystal panel 503 and camera 7 need roughly one second to start up, and therefore, upon switching from the mirror mode to the camera-image mode, it would not be possible to promptly display the camera images, which causes a delay in checking behind by the driver. As a countermeasure for this, electronic mirror device 500 performs the preliminary start-up to enable a prompt display of the camera images upon switching from the mirror mode to the camera-image mode.
Display 5 includes liquid-crystal panel 503 and backlight 504, and preliminary starter 509 starts up controller 507, camera 7, and liquid-crystal panel 503 before switching lever 506 causes display 5 to display the camera images. When switching lever 506 is operated, controller 507 causes backlight 504 to turn ON. Thus, electronic mirror device 500 can start up camera 7 and liquid-crystal panel 503, which need time to start up, in advance by the preliminary start-up and therefore, can promptly display the camera images upon a switching operation.
Furthermore, since switching lever 506 is provided to display 5, the operator can intuitively understand the functions of switching lever 506 which is a switching portion that switches between the mirror mode and the camera-image mode. Thus, the operator can easily operate electronic mirror device 500.
An example of the main operations of electronic mirror device 500 configured as described above will be described.
When the engine of vehicle 1 is started and processing starts, controller 507 of electronic mirror device 500 determines whether switching lever 506 is ON, that is, in the camera-image mode, or switching lever 506 is OFF, that is, in the mirror mode (Step S701).
When switching lever 506 is ON, that is, in the camera-image mode (Step S701: YES), the camera-image mode is started. The camera-image mode then continues while switching lever 506 is in the camera-image mode (Step S702).
When switching lever 506 is OFF, that is, in the mirror mode (Step S701: NO), the mirror mode is maintained while the camera-image mode is not started, or the camera-image mode is ended to transition to the mirror mode (Step S703).
When switching lever 506 is in the mirror mode, detector controller 508 determines whether or not infrared sensor 505 has detected body part 8 of the operator (Step S704).
When infrared sensor 505 has detected body part 8 of the operator (Step S704: YES), electronic mirror device 500 enters a preliminary set-up status (Step S705).
The entry into the preliminary start-up status (Step S705) is followed by a determination status in which whether or not switching lever 506 is switched to the camera-image mode is determined (Step S701), and when switching lever 506 is switched to ON (Step S701: YES), the preliminary start-up status is switched to the camera-image mode (Step S702).
When infrared sensor 505 has not detected body part 8 of the operator (Step S704: NO), the preliminary start-up status is canceled or the status in which the preliminary start-up has not been performed is maintained (Step S706), and the process returns to the determination status for switching lever 506 (Step S701). At this time, even when infrared sensor 505 has failed in detecting body part 8 of the operator, the determination about switching lever 506 is prioritized. That is, when switching lever 506 is switched to ON, a switchover to the camera-image mode occurs (Step S702).
Note that in the case where the preliminary start-up is canceled in the preliminary start-up status (Step S706), a timer may be provided so that the preliminary start-up is canceled, for example, after five seconds.
In the above description, switching lever 506 is provided to display 5. Aside from this installation, preliminary starter 509 and the switching portion for switching from the mirror mode to the camera-image mode may be provided, for example, as a switch installed on a steering wheel or a dashboard. In this case, preliminary starter 509 and the switching portion may be provided as separate switches. Alternatively, preliminary starter 509 and the switching portion may be provided as a single switch, and the mirror mode without the preliminary start-up, the mirror mode with the preliminary start-up, and the camera-image mode may be switched according to a sliding position of the switch, for example.
An electronic mirror according to the present invention is useful as a rearview checking device that is mounted to a vehicle.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-206200 | Oct 2014 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2015/004999 | 10/1/2015 | WO | 00 |
