Driver assistance systems for vehicle

• US 10,019,841 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2011
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gibson, Joel S., Byrne, Steven V., Shriner, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lhymn, Sarah
• Application Number:
  US14/117,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,610 Days
• Field of Search: 345418, 345501, 345530, 345619, 345633, 345634, 348143, 348148, 348149, 348169, 348177, 34820799, 3404255, 34042631, 340435, 340436, 340438, 340441, 340442, 340443, 340444, 340456
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras

Abstract

A vehicular camera includes a housing, a lens, an image sensor positioned for receiving images from the lens, a processor, and a memory. The memory contains a plurality of overlays. The processor is programmed to (a) receive first input data from a vehicle in which the camera is to be mounted, wherein the first input data correspond to the configuration of the vehicle, and (b) select a particular overlay to display based at least in part on the input received.

Claims

1. A driver assistance system of a vehicle, said driver assistance system comprising:

a camera, wherein the camera comprises a lens and an image sensor for capturing image data;

a processor;

a memory, wherein the memory stores a plurality of sets of overlays, and wherein each set of the stored plurality of sets of overlays is associated with a respective vehicle configuration of a plurality of different vehicle configurations;

wherein, when the camera is installed in a particular vehicle equipped with the driver assistance system, the processor is operable to receive a first input pertaining to that particular vehicle via a bus communication of that particular vehicle, and wherein the first input corresponds to a vehicle configuration of the particular vehicle that is equipped with the driver assistance system;

wherein the processor, responsive to receiving the first input, is operable to select a particular set of stored overlays from the stored plurality of sets of overlays, and wherein the selected set of stored overlays corresponds to the vehicle configuration of the particular vehicle that is equipped with the driver assistance system; and

wherein, responsive at least in part to a steering angle of the equipped vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle, the processor selects an individual overlay of the selected set of stored overlays for displaying at a display of the equipped vehicle for viewing by a driver of the equipped vehicle during the reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle.

2. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, with the vehicle equipped with the driver assistance system, the processor is further operable to receive a second input corresponding to a steering wheel angle of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the selected set of stored overlays stored in the memory includes individual overlays relating to predicted vehicle trajectories for the vehicle configuration of the particular vehicle that is equipped with the driver assistance system, and wherein the processor is operable to select an individual overlay from the selected set of stored overlays to display based at least in part on the second input.

3. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 2, wherein, if the vehicle configuration is available with different steering gear ratios, a value is provided in the second input when the steering wheel of the equipped vehicle is at full lock, and wherein the processor is further operable to determine information regarding the steering gear ratio of the equipped vehicle based on the second input.

4. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of stored overlays stored in the memory includes a first set of a plurality of first overlays corresponding to a first vehicle configuration and a second set of a plurality of second overlays corresponding to a second vehicle configuration.

5. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of sets of stored overlays stored in the memory includes a first set of overlays corresponding to a first vehicle configuration and a common set of overlays corresponding to both the first vehicle configuration and a second vehicle configuration.

6. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle, the processor determines which individual overlay of the selected set of stored overlays to display by accessing a look up table based at least in part on a second input pertaining to a trajectory of the equipped vehicle.

7. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selected set of overlays stored in the memory includes overlays relating to predicted vehicle trajectories, and wherein, with the vehicle equipped with the driver assistance system and during operation of the equipped vehicle, the processor is operable to select a particular individual overlay from the selected set of stored overlays to display based at least in part on a steering wheel angle of the equipped vehicle.

8. A driver assistance system, said driver assistance system comprising:

a camera, wherein the camera comprises a lens and an image sensor for capturing image data;

a processor;

a display;

a memory, wherein the memory stores a plurality of sets of overlays associated with different vehicle configurations, and wherein each of the stored sets of overlays is associated with a respective vehicle configuration;

wherein, responsive to an input pertaining to the configuration of the particular vehicle equipped with the driver assistance system, the processor is operable to select a particular stored set of overlays from the stored plurality of sets of overlays based at least in part on the configuration of the particular vehicle to be equipped with the driver assistance system;

wherein, during a driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle, the driver assistance system selects an individual overlay from the selected stored set of overlays, and wherein, during the driving maneuver of the equipped vehicle, the driver assistance system displays the selected individual overlay for viewing by a driver of the vehicle during the driving maneuver; and

wherein the plurality of stored sets of overlays stored in the memory includes at least one first overlay corresponding to a first vehicle configuration and at least one common overlay corresponding to both the first vehicle configuration and to a second vehicle configuration.

9. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 8, wherein, with the vehicle equipped with the driver assistance system, the configuration of the equipped vehicle is provided as an input to the driver assistance system.

10. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processor determines the selected particular individual stored overlay from the selected set of stored overlays by accessing a look up table.

11. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the selected set of stored overlays stored in the memory includes individual stored overlays relating to predicted vehicle trajectories for the particular vehicle configuration, and wherein, with the vehicle equipped with the driver assistance system and during operation of the equipped vehicle, the processor is operable to select a particular individual overlay from the selected set of stored overlays to display based at least in part on a steering wheel angle of the equipped vehicle.

12. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processor is operable to receive an input corresponding to the steering wheel angle of the equipped vehicle.

13. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 12, wherein, if the configuration of the vehicle is available with different steering gear ratios, a value is provided in the input when the steering wheel of the equipped vehicle is at full lock, and wherein the processor is further operable to determine information regarding the steering gear ratio of the equipped vehicle based on the input.

14. A driver assistance system, said driver assistance system comprising:

a camera, wherein the camera comprises a lens and an image sensor for capturing image data;

a processor;

a memory, wherein the memory stores a plurality of sets of overlays corresponding to different vehicle configurations, and wherein each set of overlays of said plurality of sets of overlays corresponds to a respective vehicle configuration, and wherein individual overlays of each set of overlays of said plurality of sets of overlays correspond to respective predicted trajectories associated with the respective vehicle configuration;

wherein the processor is operable to select a particular set of stored overlays from the stored plurality of sets of overlays based at least in part on an input pertaining to the configuration of the particular vehicle that is equipped with the driver assistance system;

wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle and based at least in part on the predicted trajectory of the equipped vehicle, the processor is operable to select a particular individual overlay from the selected particular set of stored overlays to display, and wherein the selected particular individual stored overlay is associated with the configuration of the particular equipped vehicle and the predicted trajectory of the equipped vehicle.

15. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the configuration of the particular equipped vehicle is provided as an input to the driver assistance system via a communication bus of the particular equipped vehicle.

16. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 14, wherein, during operation of the particular equipped vehicle, the processor is operable to select a particular individual overlay to display based at least in part on a steering wheel angle of the particular equipped vehicle.

17. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to receive an input corresponding to the steering wheel angle of the particular equipped vehicle.

18. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 17, wherein, if the configuration of the particular equipped vehicle is available with different steering gear ratios, a value is provided in the input when the steering wheel of the particular equipped vehicle is at full lock, and wherein the processor is further operable to determine information regarding the steering gear ratio of the particular equipped vehicle based on the input.

19. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plurality of sets of overlays stored in the memory includes at least one common overlay corresponding to two vehicle configurations.

20. A driver assistance system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processor determines which individual overlay to display by accessing a look up table having overlays associated with predicted trajectories.