Object detecting system

Abstract

An object detecting system includes a plurality of photographing mechanisms that are used to detect information about objects inside and outside a vehicle. An object detecting system is installed in a vehicle and comprises a first camera and a second camera to obtain information about objects inside and outside the vehicle. They system further includes a controller for conducting controls to detect information about an object and an electrical power unit to supply electrical power from a vehicle battery to the respective cameras. At least one of the controller and the electrical power unit is shared by the first camera and the second camera.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, appended claims, and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described below.

FIG. 1 is an illustration showing an object detecting system according to an embodiment which is installed in a vehicle.

FIG. 2 is an illustration, taken from above a vehicle, showing a first arrangement aspect of the object detecting system according to this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an illustration, taken from the inside of the vehicle, showing an area around a side mirror of the vehicle in the first arrangement aspect of the object detecting system.

FIG. 4 is an illustration, taken from above a vehicle, showing a second arrangement aspect of the object detecting system according to this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an illustration, taken from the inside of the vehicle, showing an area around an inner rearview mirror of the vehicle in the second arrangement aspect of the object detecting system of this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an illustration showing components of a vehicle according to an embodiment.

Claims

1. An object detecting system comprising: a first photographing mechanism for photographing an object in a first area among areas inside and outside a vehicle, and a second photographing mechanism for photographing an object in a second area different from the first area among the areas inside and outside the vehicle;a control mechanism to detect information about the objects based on images of the objects taken by the respective first and second photographing mechanisms; andan electrical power mechanism which is disposed between a vehicle battery and the respective photographing mechanisms to supply electrical power from the vehicle battery to each photographing mechanism,wherein at least one of the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism.

2. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism of which timings of using the maximum current are different from each other, and the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the first photographing mechanism is different from the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the second photographing mechanism.

3. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism, and the control mechanism varies the occupancy rates of object detecting capacity by the respective photographing mechanisms based on at least one of information about the detected object(s) and information about the vehicle.

4. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area inside the vehicle as the first area and the second photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area outside the vehicle as the second area, and wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first photographing mechanism is higher than that by the second photographing mechanism when the vehicle is stopped, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate by the second photographing mechanism is higher than that in the first setting mode when the vehicle is running.

5. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area including a driver seat inside the vehicle as the first area and the second photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area including a front passenger seat inside the vehicle as the second area, and wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first photographing mechanism is higher than that by the second photographing mechanism when the motion of an occupant of the driver seat is larger than that of an occupant of the front passenger seat, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the second photographing mechanism is higher than that by the first photographing mechanism when the motion of an occupant of the front passenger seat is larger than that of an occupant of the driver seat.

6. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism each comprise a 3-D camera capable of detecting a three-dimensional profile of an object.

7. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a housing section for accommodating the first photographing mechanism and a housing section for accommodating the second photographing mechanism are composed of a single casing.

8. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the object detecting system is structured as a single unit in which the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism are also accommodated in the single casing accommodating the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism.

9. The object detecting system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the single unit is mounted to an area around a side mirror or an area around an inner rearview mirror among respective components of the vehicle.

10. An actuating device comprising: an object detecting system;a subject to be actuated; andan actuation control mechanism to control the actuation of the subject to be actuated based on information detected by the control mechanism of the object detecting system,wherein the object detecting system includes: a first photographing mechanism for photographing an object in a first area among areas inside and outside a vehicle, and a second photographing mechanism for photographing an object in a second area different from the first area among the areas inside and outside the vehicle;a control mechanism to detect information about the objects based on images of the objects taken by the respective first and second photographing mechanisms; andan electrical power mechanism which is disposed between a vehicle battery and the respective photographing mechanisms to supply electrical power from the vehicle battery to each photographing mechanism,wherein at least one of the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism.

11. The actuating device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism of which timings of using the maximum current are different from each other, and the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the first photographing mechanism is different from the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the second photographing mechanism.

12. The actuating device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control mechanism is shared by the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism, and the control mechanism varies the occupancy rates of object detecting capacity by the respective photographing mechanisms based on at least one of information about the detected object(s) and information about the vehicle.

13. The actuating device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area inside the vehicle as the first area and the second photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area outside the vehicle as the second area, and wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first photographing mechanism is higher than that by the second photographing mechanism when the vehicle is stopped, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate by the second photographing mechanism is higher than that in the first setting mode when the vehicle is running.

14. The actuating device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area including a driver seat inside the vehicle as the first area and the second photographing mechanism forms a viewing field toward an area including a front passenger seat inside the vehicle as the second area, and wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first photographing mechanism is higher than that by the second photographing mechanism when the motion of an occupant of the driver seat is larger than that of an occupant of the front passenger seat, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the second photographing mechanism is higher than that by the first photographing mechanism when the motion of an occupant of the front passenger seat is larger than that of an occupant of the driver seat.

15. The actuating device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism each comprise a 3-D camera capable of detecting a three-dimensional profile of an object.

16. The actuating device as claimed in claim 10, wherein a housing section for accommodating the first photographing mechanism and a housing section for accommodating the second photographing mechanism are composed of a single casing.

17. The actuating device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the object detecting system is structured as a single unit in which the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism are also accommodated in the single casing accommodating the first photographing mechanism and the second photographing mechanism.

18. The actuating device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the single unit is mounted to an area around a side mirror or an area around an inner rearview mirror among respective components of the vehicle.

19. A vehicle, comprising: an engine/running system;an electrical system;an actuation control device to actuate the engine/running system and the electrical system;a vehicle battery; andan object detecting mechanism for detecting information about a plurality of objects in areas inside and outside a vehicle, wherein the object detecting mechanism comprises an object detecting system that includes: a first camera for photographing an object in a first area among areas inside and outside a vehicle, and a second camera for photographing an object in a second area different from the first area among the areas inside and outside the vehicle;a control mechanism to detect information about the objects based on images of the objects taken by the respective first and second cameras; andan electrical power mechanism which is disposed between the vehicle battery and the respective cameras to supply electrical power from the vehicle battery to each camera,wherein at least one of the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first camera and the second camera.

20. The vehicle as claimed in claim 19, wherein the electrical power mechanism is shared by the first camera and the second camera of which timings of using the maximum current are different from each other, and the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the first camera is different from the timing of supply of the maximum current supplied from the electrical power mechanism to the second camera.

21. The vehicle as claimed in claim 19, wherein the control mechanism is shared by the first camera and the second camera, and the control mechanism varies the occupancy rates of object detecting capacity by the respective cameras based on at least one of information about the detected object(s) and information about the vehicle.

22. The vehicle as claimed in claim 21, wherein the first camera forms a viewing field toward an area inside the vehicle as the first area and the second camera forms a viewing field toward an area outside the vehicle as the second area, and wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first camera is higher than that by the second camera when the vehicle is stopped, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate by the second camera is higher than that in the first setting mode when the vehicle is running.

23. The vehicle as claimed in claim 21, wherein the first camera forms a viewing field toward an area including a driver seat inside the vehicle as the first area and the second camera forms a viewing field toward an area including a front passenger seat inside the vehicle as the second area, and wherein the control mechanism sets a first setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the first camera is higher than that by the second camera when the motion of an occupant of the driver seat is larger than that of an occupant of the front passenger seat, while the control mechanism sets a second setting mode in which the occupancy rate of the object detecting capacity occupied by the second camera is higher than that by the first camera when the motion of an occupant of the front passenger seat is larger than that of an occupant of the driver seat.

24. The vehicle as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first camera and the second camera each comprise a 3-D camera capable of detecting a three-dimensional profile of an object.

25. The vehicle as claimed in claim 19, wherein a housing section for accommodating the first camera and a housing section for accommodating the second camera are composed of a single casing.

26. The vehicle as claimed in claim 25, wherein the object detecting system is structured as a single unit in which the control mechanism and the electrical power mechanism are also accommodated in the single casing accommodating the first camera and the second camera.

27. The vehicle as claimed in claim 26, wherein the single unit is mounted to an area around a side mirror or an area around an inner rearview mirror among respective components of the vehicle.