Vehicle vision system with front and rear camera integration

• US 10,089,537 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2013
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nix, Axel, Ihlenburg, Joern, Bally, Nazar F., Gebauer, Duane W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Monshi, Samira
• Application Number:
  US13/894,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20130314503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads

Abstract

A vehicular vision system includes a forward facing camera module having a forward facing camera having forward field of view, and includes a rearward facing camera having a rearward field of view. The forward facing camera module includes an image processor, a decoder and an encoder. Image data captured by the rearward facing camera is fed to the decoder and an output of the decoder is fed to the image processor. The image processor is operable to process image data captured by the forward facing camera to at least detect objects in the forward field of view and is operable to process the decoder output to at least detect objects the rearward field of view. An image processor output is fed to the encoder and an encoder output is fed to a display that is viewable by a driver of the vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a forward facing camera module disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system, said forward facing camera module comprising a forward facing camera having a forward field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, said forward facing camera capturing image data, wherein said forward facing camera module comprises an image processor, a decoder and an encoder;

a rearward facing camera disposed at the equipped vehicle and having a rearward field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, said rearward facing camera capturing video images;

a display operable to display images for viewing by a driver of the equipped vehicle;

wherein video images captured by said rearward facing camera is are fed to said decoder of said forward facing camera module and an output of said decoder is fed to said image processor;

wherein said image processor of said forward facing camera module is operable to process image data captured by said forward facing camera to at least detect objects present in the forward field of view of said forward facing camera;

wherein said image processor of said forward facing camera module is operable to process the output of said decoder to at least detect objects present in the rearward field of view of said rearward facing camera; and

wherein an output of said image processor is fed to said encoder of said forward facing camera module and wherein an output of said encoder is fed to said display; and

wherein, responsive to said output of said encoder, said display is operable to display video images representative of video images captured by said rearward facing camera for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle.

2. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said vision system is associated with an emergency braking system of the equipped vehicle that utilizes said processing of image data captured by said forward facing camera.

3. The vision system of claim 2, wherein said emergency braking system provides different braking functions depending on the environment in which the equipped vehicle is driven.

4. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said vision system is associated with a cross traffic alert function that utilizes at least one of (i) said processing of image data captured by said forward facing camera and (ii) said processing of the output of said decoder.

5. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said vision system is part of a surround view vision system and includes side cameras at respective sides of the equipped vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, and wherein said forward facing camera module receives inputs from said side cameras and wherein, responsive to said output of said encoder, said display is operable to display video images representative of video images captured by said rearward facing camera and said side cameras.

6. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said vision system is operable to detect a bicyclist traveling along a side region of the road on which the equipped vehicle is traveling.

7. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said vision system is operable, at least in part responsive to processing of the output of said decoder, to detect an object approaching the equipped vehicle from rearward of the equipped vehicle when the equipped vehicle is not moving and, responsive at least in part to (i) detection of a rearward approaching object and (ii) a determination that the rearward approaching object may impact a vehicle door when the door were opened, said vision system generates an output to at least one of (a) alert an occupant of the equipped vehicle of a potential impact and (b) limit opening of the vehicle door.

8. The vision system of claim 1, wherein, at least in part responsive to said processing of the output of said decoder, said vision system is operable to determine a presence of a child in the field of view of said rearward facing camera, and wherein, responsive at least in part to the determination of the presence of a child, said vision system generates an alert.

9. The vision system of claim 8, wherein said vision system is operable to distinguish a child from adult pedestrians.

10. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said vision system processes sequential frames of captured image data to generate a three dimensional map of the road on which the equipped vehicle is traveling and stationary objects above the road, and wherein said vision system uses lateral motion detection to determine a presence of moving objects.

11. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a forward facing camera module disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system, said forward facing camera module comprising a forward facing camera having a forward field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, said forward facing camera capturing image data, wherein said forward facing camera module comprises an image processor, a decoder and an encoder;

a rearward facing camera disposed at the equipped vehicle and having a rearward field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, said rearward facing camera capturing video images;

a display operable to display images for viewing by a driver of the equipped vehicle;

wherein video images captured by said rearward facing camera is are fed to said decoder of said forward facing camera module and an output of said decoder is fed to said image processor;

wherein said image processor of said forward facing camera module is operable to process image data captured by said forward facing camera to at least detect objects present in the forward field of view of said forward facing camera;

wherein said image processor of said forward facing camera module is operable to process the output of said decoder to at least detect objects present in the rearward field of view of said rearward facing camera;

wherein an output of said image processor is fed to said encoder of said forward facing camera module and wherein an output of said encoder is fed to said display;

wherein, responsive to said output of said encoder, said display is operable to display video images representative of video images captured by said rearward facing camera for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle;

wherein, at least in part responsive to said processing of the output of said decoder, said vision system is operable to determine a presence of a child in the field of view of said rearward facing camera, and wherein, responsive at least in part to the determination of the presence of a child, said vision system generates an alert; and

wherein said vision system is associated with at least one of (a) an emergency braking system of the equipped vehicle that utilizes said processing of image data captured by said forward facing camera, and (b) a cross traffic alert function that utilizes at least one of (i) said processing of image data captured by said forward facing camera and (ii) said processing of the output of said decoder.

12. The vision system of claim 11, wherein said vision system is part of a surround view vision system and includes cameras at respective sides of the equipped vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view.

13. The vision system of claim 11, wherein said vision system is operable to detect a bicyclist traveling along a side region of the road on which the equipped vehicle is traveling.

14. The vision system of claim 11, wherein said vision system is operable, at least in part responsive to processing of the output of said decoder, to detect an object approaching the equipped vehicle from rearward of the equipped vehicle when the equipped vehicle is not moving and, responsive at least in part to (i) detection of a rearward approaching object and (ii) a determination that the rearward approaching object may impact a vehicle door when the door were opened, said vision system generates an output to at least one of (a) alert an occupant of the equipped vehicle of the potential impact and (b) limit opening of the vehicle door.

15. The vision system of claim 11, wherein said vision system is operable to distinguish a child from adult pedestrians.

16. The vision system of claim 11, wherein said vision system processes sequential frames of captured image data to generate a three dimensional map of the road on which the equipped vehicle is traveling and stationary objects above the road, and wherein said vision system uses lateral motion detection to determine a presence of moving objects.

17. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a forward facing camera module disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system, said forward facing camera module comprising a forward facing camera having a forward field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, said forward facing camera capturing image data, wherein said forward facing camera module comprises an image processor, a decoder and an encoder;

a rearward facing camera disposed at the equipped vehicle and having a rearward field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, said rearward facing camera capturing video images;

a display operable to display images for viewing by a driver of the equipped vehicle;

wherein video images captured by said rearward facing camera is are fed to said decoder of said forward facing camera module and an output of said decoder is fed to said image processor;

wherein said image processor of said forward facing camera module is operable to process image data captured by said forward facing camera to at least detect objects present in the forward field of view of said forward facing camera;

wherein said image processor of said forward facing camera module is operable to process the output of said decoder to at least detect objects present in the rearward field of view of said rearward facing camera;

wherein an output of said image processor is fed to said encoder of said forward facing camera module and wherein an output of said encoder is fed to said display;

wherein, responsive to said output of said encoder, said display is operable to display video images representative of video images captured by said rearward facing camera for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said vision system is operable, at least in part responsive to processing of the output of said decoder, to detect an object approaching the equipped vehicle from rearward of the equipped vehicle when the equipped vehicle is not moving and, responsive at least in part to (i) detection of a rearward approaching object and (ii) a determination that the rearward approaching object may impact a vehicle door when the door were opened, said vision system generates an output to at least one of (a) alert an occupant of the equipped vehicle of a potential impact and (b) limit opening of the vehicle door; and

wherein said vision system is associated with at least one of (a) an emergency braking system of the equipped vehicle that utilizes said processing of image data captured by said forward facing camera, and (b) a cross traffic alert function that utilizes at least one of (i) said processing of image data captured by said forward facing camera and (ii) said processing of the output of said decoder.

18. The vision system of claim 17, wherein said vision system is part of a surround view vision system and includes cameras at respective sides of the equipped vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view.

19. The vision system of claim 17, wherein said vision system is operable to detect a bicyclist traveling along a side region of the road on which the equipped vehicle is traveling.

20. The vision system of claim 17, wherein said vision system processes sequential frames of captured image data to generate a three dimensional map of the road on which the equipped vehicle is traveling and stationary objects above the road, and wherein said vision system uses lateral motion detection to determine a presence of moving objects.