Parking assist overlay

• US 10,486,549 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ignaczak, Brad Alan, Hassani, Ali, Siddiqui, Adil Nizam, Theodosis, Paul, Bell, Christopher W., Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Bennie, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson, II, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/713,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20160332573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• 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 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• 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: B62D 15/029 Steering assistants using warnings or proposing actions to the driver without influencing the steering system
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations

Abstract

A vehicle system includes a camera and a display device. The camera is configured to capture an image and the display device is programmed to display the image. Each image includes a target, and the display device displays a virtual overlay on the image. The virtual overlay is displayed on the display device at a fixed location.

Claims

1. A vehicle system comprising:

a first camera configured to capture a first image including a first target;

a second camera configured to capture a second image including a second target; and

a display device programmed to display a virtual overhead view of a vehicle based on the first image and the second image,

wherein the virtual overhead view includes;

a first virtual overlay ahead of the virtual overhead view of the vehicle, a second virtual overlay behind the virtual overhead view of the vehicle, a virtual representation of the first target, and a virtual representation of the second target so that the vehicle may be charged wirelessly when both the first virtual overlay is aligned with the first target and the second virtual overlay is aligned with the second target,

wherein the first virtual overlay and the second virtual overlay are displayed on the display device at a fixed orientation relative to the vehicle.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the first image includes an area ahead of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle system of claim 2, wherein the area ahead of the vehicle includes an area in a direction of travel of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the second image includes an area behind the vehicle.

5. The vehicle system of claim 4, wherein the area behind the vehicle includes an area opposite a direction of travel of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the first virtual overlay displayed on the virtual overhead view and the first target have the same geometric shape.

7. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the first target and second target are associated with aligning the vehicle with a wireless charging station.

8. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the display device is programmed to display one of the first image and the second image simultaneously with displaying the virtual overhead view based at least in part on a direction of travel of a vehicle relative to a wireless charging station.

9. A method comprising:

capturing a first image;

capturing a second image;

displaying one of the first image and the second image on a display device, wherein the first image includes a first target and the second image includes a second target;

generating a first virtual overlay;

generating a second virtual overlay;

generating a virtual representation of the first target;

generating a virtual representation of the second target; and

displaying the first virtual overlay, the second virtual overlay, the virtual representation of the first target, and the virtual representation of the second target in a virtual overhead view of a vehicle so that the vehicle may be charged wirelessly when both the first virtual overlay is aligned with the first target and the second virtual overlay is aligned with the second target, wherein the first virtual overlay is displayed ahead of the virtual overhead view of the vehicle and wherein the second virtual overlay is displayed behind the virtual overhead view of the vehicle, wherein the first virtual overlay and the second virtual overlay are displayed in the virtual overhead view at a fixed orientation relative to the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first image includes an area ahead of the vehicle and wherein the second image includes an area behind the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the area ahead of the vehicle includes an area in a direction of travel of the vehicle and wherein the area behind the vehicle includes an area opposite the direction of travel of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first virtual overlay displayed on the first image has a different geometric shape than the second virtual overlay displayed on the second image.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first target in the first image and the first virtual overlay have a first geometric shape.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second target in the second image and the second virtual overlay have a second geometric shape.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first geometric shape is different from the second geometric shape.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second targets are associated with aligning a vehicle with a wireless charging station.