System and method for generating a hybrid camera view in a vehicle

• US 10,576,892 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2016
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Haggerty, Terry, Ignaczak, Brad Alan, Diedrich, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Findley, Christopher G
• Application Number:
  US15/080,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20170274822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 348148
• 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 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/102 using 360 degree surveillance camera system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking

Abstract

Embodiments include a vehicle comprising a plurality of cameras for capturing images within a field of view surrounding the vehicle; a processor for generating a real-time view of an area within the field of view using currently-captured images, and a time-delayed view of a region outside the field of view using previously-captured images stored in a memory; and a display for displaying a hybrid view comprising the real-time view and time-delayed view. Embodiments also include a vehicle camera system comprising a plurality of cameras configured to capture images within a field of view surrounding the vehicle, and a processor configured to generate a real-time view of an area within the field of view using currently-captured images, a time-delayed view of a region outside the field of view using previously-captured images stored in a memory, and a hybrid view of the vehicle by integrating the time-delayed view into the real-time view.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

cameras;

a display; and

processors configured to;

generate, via the cameras, a real-time view of an area within a field of view surrounding the vehicle using currently-captured images, and a time-delayed view of a region outside the field of view using previously-captured images;

determine a vehicle movement status comprising yaw rate, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, pitch rate, and roll rate;

calibrate the display view based on the vehicle movement status; and

display the calibrated display view at the display, wherein the calibrated display view comprises a hybrid view of the real-time view and the time-delayed view such that the real-time view of the area within the field of view surrounding the vehicle using the currently-captured images and the time-delayed view of the region outside the field of view using the previously-captured images are displayed in different colors.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising the memory, wherein the memory is configured to store the currently-captured images as new previously-captured images, and the processors are further configured to update the time-delayed view once the new images are stored in the memory.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the region outside the field of view includes a road surface underneath the vehicle and the processors generate the time-delayed view by combining the previously-captured images that show the road surface underneath the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processors are further configured to generate the real-time view by combining the currently-captured images from each of the cameras, the real-time view including a blank space corresponding to the region outside the field of view.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the processors are further configured to generate the hybrid view by integrating the time-delayed view into the blank space of the real-time view.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the previously-captured images are images captured by the cameras at a point in time prior to capture of the currently-captured images.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the hybrid view includes a phantom line distinguishing the real-time view and the time-delayed view.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the hybrid view contains no demarcation between the supplemental view and the real-time view.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein time-delayed view includes a user-selected vehicle image that is representative of the vehicle.

10. A method, comprising:

generating, via cameras, a real-time view of an area within a field of view surrounding a vehicle using currently-captured images, and a time-delayed view of a region outside the field of view using previously-captured images;

determining a vehicle movement status comprising yaw rate, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, pitch rate, and roll rate;

calibrating the display view based on the vehicle movement status; and

providing, to a vehicle display, a calibrated display view, wherein the calibrated display view comprises a hybrid view of the real-time view and the time-delayed view such that the real-time view of the area within the field of view surrounding the vehicle using the currently-captured images and the time-delayed view of the region outside the field of view using the previously-captured images are displayed in different colors.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the real-time view includes blank space corresponding to a location of the surface underneath the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein combining the time-delayed view with the real-time images includes integrating the time-delayed view into the blank space of the real-time view to form the hybrid view.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising formatting the hybrid view to include a first characteristic for the time-delayed view and a second, different characteristic for the real-time view.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the real-time view is displayed in color and the time-delayed view is displayed in black and white.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

updating, by the processor, the time-delayed view based on a new set of stored images retrieved from the memory; and

providing the updated time-delayed view to the vehicle display to replace the time-delayed view currently on display.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the stored images are images captured by the cameras at a point in time prior to capture of the real-time images.

17. A vehicle camera system, comprising:

a plurality of cameras configured to capture images within a field of view surrounding a vehicle;

a processor configured to;

generate a real-time view of an area within the field of view using currently-captured images, a time-delayed view of a region outside the field of view using previously-captured images stored in memory;

determine a vehicle movement status comprising yaw rate, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, pitch rate, and roll rate;

calibrate the display view based on the vehicle movement status; and

provide, to a vehicle display, a calibrated display view, wherein the calibrated display view comprises a hybrid view of the vehicle by integrating the time-delayed view into the real-time view, wherein the hybrid view is generated such that the real-time view of the area within the field of view surrounding the vehicle using the currently-captured images and the time-delayed view of the region outside the field of view using the previously-captured images are displayed in different colors.

18. The vehicle camera system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the real-time view by combining the currently-captured images from each camera, the real-time view including a blank space corresponding to the region outside the field of view.

19. The vehicle camera system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to integrate the time-delayed view into the blank space of the real-time view.

20. The vehicle camera system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to format the hybrid view to include a first characteristic for the time-delayed view and a second, different characteristic for the real-time view.

21. The vehicle camera system of claim 17, the processor is further configured to update the time-delayed view once new images are stored in the memory.

22. The vehicle camera system of claim 17, wherein the region outside the field of view includes a road surface underneath the vehicle, and wherein the processor is further configured to generate the time-delayed view by combining the previously-captured images that show the road surface underneath the vehicle.