JP3248692U - Electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles, which adjusts the display screen of two images, reduces the burden on the driver while driving, and enhances driving safety. [Solution] The electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles includes a camera, a processor, and a display device 400. The camera is provided at the head of one side of the vehicle body, and is arranged to capture a side image of this side of the vehicle body. The processor is provided within the vehicle body, and is signal-connected to the camera. The processor is arranged to receive the side image, and image-process the side image to obtain a first captured image CI1 and a second captured image CI2 from the side image. The display device is provided within the cab of the vehicle body, and is signal-connected to the processor. The display device is arranged to receive the first captured image and the second captured image, and display the first captured image and/or the second captured image. [Selected Figure] Figure 6

Description

This disclosure relates to driving monitoring and control technology, and in particular to electronic rearview mirror systems for commercial vehicles.

For driving safety, all vehicles are equipped with multiple rearview mirrors. These rearview mirrors are usually installed inside the vehicle and on both sides of the vehicle. These rearview mirrors allow the driver to easily see the rear of the vehicle and the surrounding environment around the vehicle when backing up or steering, which can reduce traffic accidents.

However, optical mirrors have inherent weaknesses. When it rains or when it gets dark at night, the image reflected on the optical mirror is not bright enough, making it difficult for the driver to see clearly. Furthermore, on rainy or foggy days, raindrops and fog adhere to the optical mirror, affecting the clarity of the image on the optical mirror. Furthermore, the optical mirror receives glare from vehicles behind, making it difficult to obtain a clear image. Also, large vehicles have too many optical mirrors, making it difficult for the driver to concentrate, which affects the driver's judgment.

With the rapid development of the automobile industry, various vehicle sensors and imaging devices are currently being developed to provide functions such as external environment detection, distance measurement, and photography. Large vehicles such as buses and large trucks have a problem with visual blind spots due to their long and tall bodies. To solve the blind spot problem in large vehicles, there is currently technology that uses sensors and imaging devices instead of rearview mirrors, providing a wider field of view.

However, as the number of imaging devices in vehicles increases, the display device must split the images captured by these imaging devices into multiple screens to display them. This makes it difficult for the driver to understand which areas correspond to which display screens, which goes against the human body's intuitive reaction and makes it difficult to make timely driving decisions.

Therefore, there is an urgent need for a driving monitoring and control system to solve the problems that exist in the known technologies mentioned above.

One objective of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles, the processor of which can capture two images with the required viewing angle and range from the side image of the vehicle body, and can adjust the display screen of the two images as needed. Therefore, the electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles can clearly display the necessary monitoring and control screen to the driver, reduce the driver's driving burden, and increase driving safety.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles, in which the display device is rotatably mounted on the A-pillar of the vehicle body to match the driver's reflex action. In addition, the two captured images are arranged one above the other, so that the driver can view them more intuitively.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles, which may include a warning device that can warn the driver by emitting a warning light or a warning sound when the processor detects a risk object in the captured image, thereby improving driving safety.

According to the above object of the present disclosure, an electronic rearview mirror system for a commercial vehicle is provided, which includes: a camera provided at the head of one side of the vehicle body and arranged to capture a side image of this side of the vehicle body; a processor provided within the vehicle body and signal-connected to the camera and arranged to receive the side image and image-process the side image to obtain a first captured image and a second captured image from the side image; and a display device provided within the cab of the vehicle body and signal-connected to the processor and arranged to receive the first captured image and the second captured image and display the first captured image and/or the second captured image.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the camera includes a wide-angle lens.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the above-mentioned processor is equipped with a camera monitor system (CMS) field of view mode and a blind spot information system (BSIS) field of view mode, and the processor captures the first captured image and the second captured image in the camera monitor system field of view mode or the blind spot information system field of view mode.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor is provided within a display device, and the display device includes a touch screen.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display device includes two warning areas corresponding to the first captured image and the second captured image, respectively, and when the processor detects that there is at least one risk object in the first captured image or the second captured image, the corresponding warning area emits a warning light.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the above display device is rotatably mounted on pillar A of the vehicle body.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the display device has a rectangular display area, and when the first captured image and the second captured image are simultaneously displayed, the first captured image and the second captured image are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the rectangular display area.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles further includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver signal-connected to the processor.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles further comprises a horn, which is signal-connected to the processor and configured to emit an audible warning when the processor detects at least one risk object in the first captured image or the second captured image.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles further includes an indicator light that is signal-connected to the processor and is configured to emit a warning light when the processor detects the presence of at least one risk object in the first captured image or the second captured image.

Aspects of the present disclosure may be better understood by reference to the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: It should be noted that, in accordance with standard industry practice, features are not drawn to scale, and in fact may be arbitrarily increased or decreased in size to enhance clarity of discussion.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic rearview mirror system for a commercial vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a camera of an electronic rearview mirror system for a commercial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a vehicle body. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a camera according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a display device of an electronic rearview mirror system for a commercial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on a vehicle body. FIG. 1 is a front schematic diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing how a display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure displays two different captured images. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a captured image according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another captured image according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating another captured image according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electronic rearview mirror system for a commercial vehicle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Below, the embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed in detail. However, it will be appreciated that the embodiments provide many applicable concepts that can be implemented in a variety of specific contexts. The embodiments discussed and disclosed are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. All embodiments of the present disclosure disclose various features, which may be implemented alone or in combination as appropriate.

In addition, the terms "first," "second," etc. used in this text do not imply any particular order or ranking, but are intended to distinguish between elements or operations described with the same technical terms.

The spatial relationship between two elements described in this disclosure is applicable not only to the orientation depicted in the drawings, but also to orientations not shown in the drawings, such as an upside-down orientation. Note that the "connection" and "electrical connection" of two components in this disclosure, or these terms, are not limited to a direct connection or electrical connection between the two, but also include an indirect connection or electrical connection, as necessary.

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a block diagram illustrating an electronic rearview mirror system 100 for commercial vehicles according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic rearview mirror system 100 for commercial vehicles is applied to commercial vehicles such as trucks, public vehicles, large coaches, buses, sightseeing cars, or articulated vehicles, instead of a rearview mirror or as an auxiliary image system to compensate for the lack of a rearview mirror.

The commercial vehicle electronic rearview mirror system 100 may mainly include a camera 200, a processor 300, and a display device 400. The camera 200 may be signal-connected to the processor 300 in a wired or wireless manner. The processor 300 may also be signal-connected to the display device 400 in a wired or wireless manner. In some exemplary embodiments, the camera 200 achieves the signal connection by electrically connecting the display device 400 to the processor 300 via a line.

The commercial vehicle electronic rearview mirror system 100 can be mounted on the left side, right side, or both sides of the vehicle body 500, depending on the needs of driving, for example, turning left or right. That is, one or two commercial vehicle electronic rearview mirror systems 100 can be mounted on one vehicle body 500.

Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. They are respectively a schematic diagram showing the mounting of the camera 200 of the electronic rearview mirror system 100 for commercial vehicles on the vehicle body 500 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and a side schematic diagram showing the camera 200. The camera 200 is mounted on the head 510 of one side 502 of the vehicle body 500, and can capture a side image of this side 502 of the vehicle body 500. In some embodiments, the camera 200 is mounted on the vehicle door 512 of the head 510 of the vehicle body 500. The lens 210 of the camera 200 faces downward, and the shooting direction and shooting range can be adjusted as necessary. In some embodiments, the lens 210 is a wide-angle lens, and can capture a wider range of side images of the vehicle body 500.

The processor 300 is provided in the vehicle body 500. In some embodiments, the processor 300 is provided in the display device 400 and can be electrically connected to the display device 400 via a line. The processor 300 is signal-connected to the camera 200 and can receive a side image of the vehicle body 500 captured by the camera 200. The processor 300 processes the received side image and obtains a first capture image and a second capture image from the side image.

In some embodiments, the processor 300 is built-in with a camera monitor system (CMS) viewing angle mode and a blind spot information system (BSIS) viewing angle mode. The processor 300 can capture the first capture image and the second capture image from the side image in the camera monitor system viewing angle mode or the blind spot information system viewing angle mode according to driving needs. The processor 300 can capture the first capture image and the second capture image in the same viewing angle mode or in different viewing angle modes. The capture angles and areas of the first capture image and the second capture image are different, and the capture ranges may be the same or different. In some embodiments, the capture areas of the first capture image and the second capture image may partially overlap.

In some embodiments, after the processor 300 captures the first captured image and the second captured image, the processor 300 can selectively further process the first captured image and the second captured image, and scale and/or calibrate the first captured image and the second captured image according to display needs. For example, if the size of the captured first captured image is smaller than the display area, the processor 300 can enlarge the first captured image to fit the size of the display area. If the size of the captured first captured image fits the size of the display area, there is no need to scale the first captured image. If the captured first captured image is an arc-shaped image, the processor 300 can calibrate the first captured image to flatten the first captured image.

Please refer to FIG. 4. It is a schematic diagram showing how the display device 400 of the commercial vehicle electronic rearview mirror system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted on the vehicle body 500. The display device 400 is provided in the driver's cab 520 of the vehicle body 500. In some embodiments, the display device 400 is provided on the A pillar 530 of the vehicle body 500. Specifically, the display device 400 is provided along the A pillar 530, so as to be aligned with the driver's reflection action. In some illustrative examples, the display device 400 is rotatably provided on the A pillar 530, which helps the driver adjust the orientation of the display device 400 according to visual needs. When only one commercial vehicle electronic rearview mirror system 100 is mounted on the vehicle body 500, the display device 400 can be mounted on the A pillar 530 of the passenger seat. The display device 400 is signal-connected to the processor 300 to receive the first captured image and the second captured image captured by the processor 300. The display device 400 can display the first captured image and/or the second captured image according to the driver's settings. That is, the display device 400 can display only one captured image or can display two captured images simultaneously.

Please refer to Figures 5 and 6. They are respectively a front schematic view showing a display device 400 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and a schematic view showing how the display device 400 shows two different captured images. The display device 400 includes a screen 410, and the screen 410 has a display area 412. In some embodiments, the display device 400 is a rectangular device, and the display area 412 of the screen 410 also has a rectangular shape. As shown in Figure 6, when the display device 400 simultaneously displays the first captured image CI1 and the second captured image CI2, the first captured image CI1 and the second captured image CI2 are arranged along the longitudinal direction LD of the rectangular display area 412. That is, when the longitudinal direction LD of the display area 412 is along the A pillar 530, the first captured image CI1 and the second captured image CI2 are arranged up and down, which is more visually intuitive for the driver. The arrangement order of the first captured image CI1 and the second captured image CI2 is interchangeable, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The sizes of the first captured image CI1 and the second captured image CI2 displayed in the display area 412 may be the same or different. The screen 410 of the display device 400 may be a touch screen. Therefore, the screen 410 of the display device 400 can function as a human interface, which is advantageous for the driver to set the shooting angle of the camera 200, capture images by the processor 300, and set the display settings of the display device 400.

In some embodiments, the display device 400 includes two warning areas 420 corresponding to the first captured image CI1 and the second captured image CI2, respectively. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the warning area 420 may be an outer frame surrounding the first captured image CI1 and the second captured image CI2. In some other embodiments, the two warning areas 420 may also be strip-shaped areas located on one side of the first captured image CI1 and the second captured image CI2, respectively. The warning areas 420 are adjustable according to the sizes of the first captured image CI1 and the second captured image CI2. When the processor 300 detects that there is at least one risk object in the first captured image CI1 or the second captured image CI2, the processor 300 controls the display device 400 to emit a warning light in the corresponding warning area 420. For example, when the processor 300 detects that a risk object is present in the first captured image CI1, the warning area 420 corresponding to the first captured image CI1 emits a warning light.

In some embodiments, the processor 300 controls the corresponding warning area 420 to emit a colored light, for example a green light, when it detects that there is no risk object in the first captured image CI1 or the second captured image CI2. The processor 300 can control the corresponding warning area 420 to emit another colored light, for example a red light, when it detects that there is a risk object in the first captured image CI1 or the second captured image CI2.

Please refer to Figures 7, 8, and 9, which are schematic diagrams showing three types of captured images according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In Figure 7, the processor 300 captures the entire side image taken by the camera 200 as a captured image CI in the inside wheel difference blind spot information system viewing angle mode, and displays only the captured image CI on the display device 400.

In FIG. 8, in the inside wheel difference blind spot information system viewing angle mode, the processor 300 captures an image beside the vehicle body 500 from the side image captured by the camera 200 as a first captured image CI1, and captures an image behind the vehicle body 500 from the side image as a second captured image CI2. The processor 300 controls the display device 400 to display the first captured image CI1 and the second captured image CI2. The first captured image CI1 may be an image beside the upper or lower part of the vehicle body 500 from the side image, and the second captured image CI2 may be an image behind the lower part of the vehicle body 500 from the side image.

In FIG. 9, in the camera monitor system viewing angle mode, the processor 300 captures an image beside the vehicle body 500 from the side image captured by the camera 200 as a first captured image CI1, and captures an image behind the vehicle body 500 from the side image as a second captured image CI2. The processor 300 controls the display device 400 to display the first captured image CI1 and the second captured image CI2. The first captured image CI1 may be an image beside the lower part of the vehicle body 500 from the side image, and the second captured image CI2 may be an image behind the lower part of the vehicle body 500 from the side image.

The processor 300 can capture side images of the vehicle body 500 in the camera monitor system viewing angle mode or the inside wheel difference blind spot information system viewing angle mode according to the requirements set by the driver. Therefore, the combination of captured images in the present disclosure is not limited to the above examples.

Please refer to FIG. 10. It is a block diagram showing an electronic rearview mirror system 100a for commercial vehicles according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The electronic rearview mirror system 100a for commercial vehicles of this embodiment has almost the same structure as the electronic rearview mirror system 100 for commercial vehicles described above, and the difference between the two is that the electronic rearview mirror system 100a for commercial vehicles further includes a global positioning system receiver 600, a horn 700, and an indicator light 800.

The global positioning system receiver 600 can receive information such as the position, speed, and time of the vehicle body 500. The global positioning system receiver 600 is signal-connected to the processor 300 via a wired or wireless method, and transmits information such as the position, speed, and time of the vehicle body 500 to the processor 300. The processor 300 uses this information to transmit information such as the relative speed between the vehicle body 500 and risk objects such as external vehicles or objects.

The horn 700 can also be signal-connected to the processor 300 by wired or wireless transmission. The horn 700 can be disposed on the display device 400. In some embodiments, the horn 700 can be independent of the display device 400 and electrically connected to the display device 400 via a line. The horn 700 can emit a warning sound to alert the driver when the processor 300 detects a risk object in the first captured image CI1 or the second captured image CI2.

The indicator light 800 can be signal-connected to the processor 300 via a wired or wireless transmission method. In some embodiments, the indicator light 800 can be externally attached to the outside of the display device 400 via a line. The indicator light 800 can emit a warning light to alert the driver when the processor 300 detects that there is a risk object in the first captured image CI1 or the second captured image CI2.

The processor 300 may further be signal-connected to a directional light control device of the vehicle body 500 to receive a directional light operation signal. The processor 300 may determine the degree of risk when steering the vehicle body 500 based on information such as the relative speed between the vehicle body 500 and an external vehicle or object, and the directional light operation signal. The processor 300 controls the horn 700 and/or the indicator light 800 to emit a warning sound or light based on the degree of risk.

The global positioning system receiver 600, horn 700, and indicator light 800 can be selected according to driving needs, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

As can be seen from the above embodiment, one advantage of the present disclosure is that the processor of the electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles can capture two images with the required viewing angle and range from the side image of the vehicle body, and adjust the display screen of these two images as needed. Therefore, the electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles can clearly display the monitoring and control screen required for driving, reducing the driver's driving burden and increasing driving safety.

Another advantage of the present disclosure is that the display device of the commercial vehicle electronic rearview mirror system is rotatably mounted on the A-pillar of the vehicle body to match the driver's reflection action. In addition, the two captured images are arranged vertically, which is more visually intuitive for the driver.

Another advantage of the present disclosure is that the electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles may include a warning device, which can emit a warning light or sound to alert the driver when the processor detects a risk object in the captured image, thereby improving driving safety.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been disclosed as above, this does not limit the present disclosure, and anyone skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure is based on the contents specified in the scope of the utility model registration claims attached later.

100: Electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles 100a: Electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles 200: Camera 300: Processor 400: Display device 410: Screen 412: Display area 420: Warning area 500: Vehicle body 502: Side 510: Vehicle head 512: Vehicle door 520: Driver's cab 530: A pillar 600: Global positioning system receiver 700: Horn 800: Indicator light CI: Captured image CI1: First captured image CI2: Second captured image LD: Longitudinal direction

Claims (10)

1. An electronic rearview mirror system for a commercial vehicle, comprising:
A camera provided at a head of one side of a vehicle body and arranged to capture a side image of the vehicle body;
a processor provided within the vehicle body and signal-connected to the camera, the processor being configured to receive the side image and image-process the side image to obtain a first captured image and a second captured image from the side image;
a display device provided in a cab of the vehicle body and signally connected to the processor and configured to receive the first captured image and the second captured image and to display the first captured image and/or the second captured image;
An electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles. The electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the camera includes a wide-angle lens. The electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the processor has a camera monitor system viewing angle mode and an inside wheel difference blind spot information system viewing angle mode built in, and the processor captures the first captured image and the second captured image in the camera monitor system viewing angle mode or the inside wheel difference blind spot information system viewing angle mode. The electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the processor is provided within the display device, and the display device has a touch screen. The electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the display device includes two warning areas corresponding to the first captured image and the second captured image, respectively, and when the processor detects that there is at least one risk object in the first captured image or the second captured image, one of the corresponding warning areas emits a warning light. The electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the display device is rotatably mounted on the A pillar of the vehicle body. The electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the display device has a rectangular display area, and when the first captured image and the second captured image are simultaneously displayed, the first captured image and the second captured image are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the rectangular display area. The electronic rearview mirror system for a commercial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system receiver signal-connected to the processor. The electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles of claim 1 further comprising a horn signal-connected to the processor and configured to emit an audible warning when the processor detects at least one risk object in the first captured image or the second captured image. The electronic rearview mirror system for commercial vehicles according to claim 1, further comprising an indicator light signal-connected to the processor and configured to emit a warning light when the processor detects at least one risk object in the first captured image or the second captured image.