Denso have developed a digital sideview monitor ECU which they say helps enhance the view for the driver and improve vehicle safety. The new ECU finds its first application in the new Lexus ES, the world’s first mass-produced vehicle to be equipped with digital sideview monitors rather than mirrors. Digital sideview monitor technology is expected to help improve vehicle safety by increasing the view and enhancing the view in bad weather compared to conventional optical mirrors.
A digital sideview monitor system consists of cameras, an ECU, and displays. The ECU processes and controls the image captured by sideview cameras in real time, based on various kinds of vehicle information, and presents images on the left and right displays depending on the driving condition and the environment around the vehicle.
The ECU interlocks the monitors with turn signal operation to provide an optimal view for the driver when making a turn or changing lanes, and with the gear selector operation to optimise the side views while the driver is reversing. Images from the left and right behind the vehicle are expanded to enhance the view for the driver.
In a road environment with different brightness levels, such as a tunnel or a parkade during the daytime, the ECU recognises the situation using information from the vehicle, such as brightness around the vehicle and changes in vehicle speed, and controls the camera exposure to provide a view suitable for the surrounding environment.
