Vehicle camera image processing

• US 10,354,408 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hufnagel, Brian, Eppel, Damian, Szewczyk, Przemyslaw
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lemieux, Ian L
• Application Number:
  US15/655,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20180025507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/0755 Position control; Position detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/12 Panospheric to cylindrical image transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

Methods and systems for developing image processing in a vehicle are described. In an example, a system, a tool or method may be used to determine the effect of changing parameters for processing the image data from a vehicle camera without actually processing the image. The image may be processed after the parameters reach a threshold of minimum requirements. After the image is approved, the parameters may be stored and transmitted to a separate system to be integrated into head unit instructions of a vehicle or loaded into head unit memory in a vehicle. The vehicle may display a processed image in a vehicle display. Vehicle processing circuitry may develop image processing for a vehicle are described. In an example, the image processing that relates to preparing an image for display occurs in the head unit in the vehicle may be positioned away from the camera itself.

Claims

1. A vehicle image processing system, comprising:

an image source to provide image data;

an image processor configured to;

receive the image data from the image source;

apply at least one of a plurality of processing parameters to the image data;

generating a view based on the at least one parameter;

receive an indication that the view does not comply with at least one output requirement, wherein the at least one output requirement includes image quality requirements set by at least one of a vehicle manufacturer and a government standard; and

adjust, in response to the indication, at least one of the parameters to further modify the image data.

2. The vehicle image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the image processor is further configured to adjust at least one of the parameters to further modify the image data until receiving an indication that the view complies with the at least one output requirement and setting the parameters to output a display image in response to an indication that the view complies with the at least one output requirement.

3. The vehicle image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a head unit with a memory, the processor further configured to instruct the memory to store the adjusted parameters for processing the image data in response to receiving an indication that the view complies with the at least one output requirement.

4. The vehicle image processing system according to claim 3, further comprising a global positioning system configured to determine a location of the vehicle;

and wherein the image processor is configured to apply a location parameter based on the location of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the image source is a wide angle camera with a field of view greater than 130°

and up to about 200°

, and wherein the processing parameters correct for at least some of distortion of the image data resulting from a wide angle camera.

6. The vehicle image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the image processor is remote from the image source.

7. A vehicle image processing method, comprising:

receiving image data from a vehicle camera;

apply at least one of a plurality of processing parameters to the image data;

displaying a first output image;

changing at least one of the parameters in response to receiving an indication that the first output image does not comply with at least one output requirement, wherein the at least one output requirement includes image quality requirements set by at least one of a vehicle manufacturer and a government standard;

applying the changed parameters to the image; and

outputting a second output image based on changed parameters.

8. The vehicle image processing method of claim 7, wherein the parameters include at least one of a distortion strength parameter, a zoom level parameter, a vertical offset parameter, a horizontal offset parameter, and a tilt level parameter.

9. The vehicle image processing method of claim 7, wherein changing at least one of the parameter of the processing parameters results in a near real-time change in outputting a reprocessed output image.

10. The vehicle image processing method of claim 7, further comprising displaying the parameters via graphical user interface.

11. The vehicle image processing method of claim 10, wherein the display includes at least one of a perspective view 3D visualization diagram, overlay parameters, car parameters, and steering wheel angle parameter, and a combination thereof.

12. The vehicle image processing method of claim 7, further comprising receiving position data from a navigational positioning system, and displaying the position data concurrently with the second output image.