JPH08289286A - Rear surveillance camera device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] The wiper installed at the front of the video camera that monitors the rear of the vehicle is automatically operated in relation to the traveling direction of the vehicle, and the driver does not have to drive the wiper. It is an object of the present invention to provide a rear monitoring camera device. [Structure] A video camera 8 for capturing an image of the rear of a vehicle, a monitor device 4 for the video camera, a power switch 12 for turning on / off a power supply 5 to the video camera 8 and the monitor device 4, and a signal for detecting a traveling direction of the vehicle. Depending on the state of the output signal of the vehicle traveling direction detecting device 14 and the operating state of the video camera 8, the wiper 11 provided at the frontmost part of the optical system of the video camera 8, And a wiper control device 15 for outputting a signal for operating the wiper 11, the wiper control device 15 outputs a signal when the vehicle traveling direction detection device 14 detects backward traveling of the vehicle and outputs a signal while the video camera 8 is operating. Controller 15
Outputs a signal for operating the wiper 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rear monitoring camera device for rear monitoring a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the increase of large vehicles, it is becoming difficult to see the rear of the vehicle, and the number of accidents caused by this is increasing.
Instead of the method of rearward monitoring using a (rearview mirror), a rearward monitoring camera device for confirming the rear using a video camera is used.

A conventional rear monitoring camera device will be described below. FIG. 2 is an external view showing a schematic mounting of a conventional rear monitoring camera device, in which 1 is a camera unit,
Reference numeral 2 is its mounting bracket, and 3 is the body of the automobile. In this case, the roof portion above the truck driver's seat is schematically shown. Reference numeral 4 is a monitor device for monitoring the image picked up by the camera unit 1, and 5 is a power source, which is connected to the camera unit 1 by a cable 6 together with the monitor device 4. The configuration of the camera unit 1 is as shown in FIG. 3, in which the video camera 8 and the wiper drive device 9 are housed inside the housing 7, and the front surface of the housing 7 is made of a transparent material such as glass. A wiper 11 sliding on the surface of the plate 10 is attached to the wiper driving device 9.

Next, a circuit block of this conventional rear monitoring camera device is shown in FIG. 4, and its operation will be described. First,
When the power switch 12 of the monitor device 4 and the camera unit 1 is turned on in the driver's seat and the video camera 8 in the monitor device 4 and the camera unit 1 is operated, a video signal based on the image of the rear of the vehicle captured by the video camera 8 Sv is transmitted through the cable 6 and input to the monitor device 4 to display the image behind the vehicle. Here, if some foreign matter adheres to the transparent plate 10 on the forefront of the optical system of the video camera 8 and normal visibility cannot be obtained, the power switch 13 of the wiper driving device 9 is turned on, and the wiper 11 is turned on. Was operated to clarify the rear field of view, and the rear side was confirmed by the image displayed on the monitor device 4.

[0005]

However, in the conventional device, the driver needs to operate the power switch of the wiper drive device when the visibility in the rear is poor due to dirt on the front portion of the video camera, which is troublesome. In addition, the power switch may be forgotten and the wiper may continue to operate, resulting in problems such as waste of power and damage to the wiper rubber.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. When the traveling direction of the vehicle is backward, the wiper is automatically operated so that the driver does not need to drive the wiper. An object is to provide a rear monitoring camera device.

[0007]

To achieve this object, the present invention provides a video camera for imaging the rear of a vehicle,
The monitor device, a power switch for turning on / off the power supply to the video camera and the monitor device, a vehicle traveling direction detection device for detecting a traveling direction of the vehicle and outputting a signal, and a front part of an optical system of the video camera. And a wiper control device that outputs a signal for operating the wiper according to the state of the output signal of the vehicle traveling direction detection device and the operating state of the video camera, and while the video camera is operating. When the vehicle traveling direction detection device detects backward traveling of the vehicle and outputs a signal, the wiper control device outputs a signal for operating the wiper.

[0008]

According to the present invention, when the vehicle is moved rearward, the vehicle traveling direction detecting device outputs a signal indicating the backward running of the vehicle. When the video camera is operating, the wiper is operated. The wiper control device that outputs a signal operates the wiper drive device, and the wiper provided at the forefront of the video camera operates to automatically remove the foreign matter attached to the forefront of the optical system of the video camera.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the rear monitoring camera device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same parts as those in the conventional device are designated by the same reference numerals. In FIG. 1, 8 is a video camera, 4 is a monitor device, and 12
Is a power switch for supplying power to the video camera 8 and the monitor device 4, 5 is a power supply, 14 is a vehicle traveling direction detection device, 15 is a wiper control device, 9 is a wiper drive device, 11
Is a wiper.

The operation here will be described. First, when the power switch 12 is turned on in the driver's seat, the video signal Sv is output from the video camera 8, and the video signal Sv is input to the monitor device 4 and the video camera 8 outputs the video signal Sv. The captured image is displayed.

On the other hand, depending on driving conditions, when the driver puts the gear into the back gear in order to move the vehicle backward,
From the vehicle traveling direction detection device 14, a vehicle traveling direction signal Sc indicating that the vehicle is traveling backward is output, and at this time, as shown in FIG. 1, when the video camera 8 is in a state where power is supplied, The wiper control device 15 outputs a wiper control signal Sd. When the wiper control signal Sd is input to the wiper drive device 9, the wiper 11 operates and the driver himself / herself wipes the wiper.
Even if you do not act to operate 11, wiper automatically
11 operates to remove foreign matter and the like adhering to the forefront of the optical system of the video camera, and make it easy to check the rear view.

[0012]

The present invention detects that the traveling direction of the vehicle is rearward, and if the video camera is powered at that time, the wiper located at the forefront of the video camera automatically operates. By doing so, the foreign matter adhering to the forefront of the optical system of the video camera can be surely removed, and the rear view can be made clear. In addition, it is possible to prevent waste of electric power, consumption of the wiper rubber, etc., caused by forgetting to turn off the wiper switch and continuing to operate the wiper.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an embodiment of a rear monitoring camera device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing an outline of attachment of a conventional rear monitoring camera device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing details of a camera unit portion in a conventional rear monitoring camera device.

FIG. 4 is a circuit block diagram of a conventional rear monitoring camera device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Camera unit, 2 ... Mounting bracket, 3 ... Car body,
4 ... Monitoring device, 5 ... Power supply, 6 ... Cable, 7
... Case, 8 ... Video camera, 9 ... Wiper drive device, 10 ... Transparent plate, 11 ... Wiper, 12 ... Power switch for monitor device and video camera, 13 ... Power switch for wiper drive device, 14 ... Detection of vehicle traveling direction apparatus,
15 ... Wiper control device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A video camera for imaging the rear of a vehicle,
A monitor device for the video camera, a power switch for turning on / off power supply to the video camera and the monitor device, a vehicle traveling direction detection device for detecting a traveling direction of the vehicle and outputting a signal, and an optical system for the video camera. Of the video camera, and a wiper control device for outputting a signal for operating the wiper according to the state of the output signal of the vehicle traveling direction detection device and the operating state of the video camera, During operation,
The rear monitoring camera device, wherein the wiper control device outputs a signal for operating the wiper when the vehicle traveling direction detection device detects backward traveling of the vehicle and outputs a signal.