Device and method for enhancing vision in motor vehicles

• US 20040161159A1
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Weidel, Michael, Holz, Michael, Weidel, Edgar
• Application Number:
  US10/762,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20040161159A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/254
• 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 1/22 for viewing an area outside the vehicle, e.g. the exterior of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/30 providing vision in the non-visible spectrum, e.g. night or infrared vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/106 using night vision cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8053 for bad weather conditions or night vision
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/73 Colour balance circuits, e.g. white balance circuits or colour temperature control camera processing pipelines for colour balance H04N23/88

Abstract

A vision-enhancing device for a motor vehicle has an image-recording device, an image-processing device and an image-display device, the image-processing device is configured to assign display color values for display by the image-display device to the input color values recorded by the image-recording device, certain display color values being provided for each input color value as a function of the environmental conditions.

Claims

1. A vision-enhancing device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an image-recording device configured to record a plurality of input color values;

an image-display device; and

an image-processing device configured to determine a plurality of display color values for display by the image-display device, each display color value corresponding to a respective input color value and determined as a function of an environmental condition.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the image-processing device includes a color table generator for generating the plurality of color tables using the input color values

9. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the image-recording device is an infrared camera of a night-vision system.

10. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the display color values are grayscale values.

11. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the display color values are color values of a false color display.

12. A vehicle having the vision-enhancing device as recited in claim 1.

2. The device as recited in claim 2, further comprising a memory unit for storing a plurality of color tables, each color table assigning input color values to corresponding display color values and wherein the image-processing device selects at least one of the plurality of color tables as a function of the environmental condition.

3. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the image-processing device includes a logic unit configured to determine display color values corresponding to input color values that are not stored in the plurality of color tables.

4. The device as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one of the plurality of color tables is selectable taking into consideration a current user of the device.

5. The device as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

a sensor and a vehicle component having an operating state; and

a control device for selecting the one of the plurality of color tables using at least one of a value output of the sensor and information relating to the operating state of the vehicle component.

6. The device as recited in claim 5, wherein the control device is configured to select the at least one of the plurality of color tables using a property of an image data recorded by the image-recording device.

7. The device as recited in claim 2, further comprising an operating unit configured to select the at least one of the plurality of color tables from an operating action of a user.

13. A method for enhancing vision in a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting input color values using an image-recording device,

assigning display color values to the input color values using an image-processing device, wherein assigning of the display color values to input color values is performed as a function of an environmental parameter.