IP Library Granted Patent US 7,612,797
Granted Patent B2
US 7,612,797 · App. 11/347,368 · Granted Nov 3, 2009

Vehicle display apparatus for displaying information of a forward view of the vehicle

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,612,797
App. No.
11/347,368
Granted
Nov 3, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention is to provide a vehicle display apparatus having a clear view. When a vehicle runs on a flat road, a standard FOE (focus of expansion) is set so as that a horizon line is positioned at a central portion of a display area. When the vehicle approaches to an uphill road, the display area is moved to match ordinates of between a current FOE and the standard FOE. When the vehicle approaches to a downhill road, the display area is moved to match the ordinates of between the current FOE and standard FOE.

Claims (53)

1. A vehicle display apparatus comprising:

a camera to take an image information of a forward direction of a vehicle;

a display device to display the image information to a display area; and

a processing device,

wherein said processing device has the processing steps of:

extracting a current focus of expansion (FOE) from the image information for use by a display control;

matching both ordinates of between the current FOE and a standard FOE to determine a distance for moving the display area, said standard FOE being fixed preliminarily at a predetermined portion of the display area;

moving the display area; and

displaying the image information to the display area.

2. A vehicle display apparatus, comprising

a camera to take an image information of a forward direction of a vehicle;

a display device to display the image information to a display area; and

a processing device,

wherein said processing device has the processing steps of:

extracting a current focus of expansion (FOE) from the image information for use by a display control;

marching both ordinates of between the current FOE and a standard FOE, said standard FOE being fixed preliminarily at a predetermined portion of the display area; and

displaying the image information to the display area;

wherein said processing step of extracting the current FOE has the steps of:

extracting white lines of both sides of a road from the image information;

calculating two straight lines corresponding to the white lines;

calculating the current FOE from a intersection of the two straight lines;

matching both ordinates of between the current FOE and the standard FOE; and

displaying the image information to the display area.

3. The vehicle display apparatus as claimed in claim 2 ,

wherein said standard FOE is positioned to the display area so a: that a horizon line is displayed at a middle portion of the display area.

4. A vehicle display apparatus comprising:

a camera to take an image information of a forward direction of a vehicle;

a display device to display the image information to a display area;

a near-infrared camera to take reflection spectra of the forward direction of the vehicle; and

a processing device,

wherein said processing device has the processing steps of:

extracting a current horizon line from the reflection spectra for a display control;

matching both ordinates of between the current horizon line and a standard horizon line, said standard horizon line being preliminarily fixed at a predetermined portion of the display area; and

displaying the image information to the display area.

5. The vehicle display apparatus as claimed in claim 4 ,

wherein said processing step of extracting the current horizon line has the steps of:

extracting the current horizon line from the reflection spectra;

matching both ordinates of between the current horizon line and the standard horizon line; and

displaying the image information to the display area.

6. The vehicle display apparatus as claimed in claim 5 ,

wherein said standard horizon line is positioned in a middle portion of the display area.

7. A vehicle display apparatus comprising:

a camera to take an image information in a camera field of a forward direction of a vehicle;

a display device to display the image information to a display area;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine a position and a moving direction of the vehicle;

a tilt sensor to determine a tilt angle between the moving direction and a level line; and

a processing device,

wherein said processing device has the processing steps of:

extracting map data corresponding to each position of the vehicle from a memory device;

determining a highest visible position in the camera field at a current position of the vehicle from altitudes corresponding to the tilt angle in the map data;

determining a highest visible position angle of between the highest visible position and a standard plane;

matching both ordinates of between the highest visible position in the image information and a camera level line by an angle difference between the highest visible position angle and the tilt angle; and

displaying the image information to the display area.

Assignments (1)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jun 5, 2023
From: YAZAKI CORPORATION
To: YAZAKI CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063845/0802 →