Remote Perspective Vehicle Environment Observation System

• US 20070016372A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Browne, Alan, Altan, Osman
• Application Number:
  US11/427,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20070016372A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for enhancing situation awareness of a vehicle operator is disclosed. Object data corresponding to objects detected within a region external to the vehicle are determined from radar, imaging, GPS, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems. A three-dimensional visualization of the region is rendered on a visual display based on the object data including representations of detected objects and the vehicle from a viewpoint perspective that is remote from the vehicle.

Claims

1. Situation awareness enhancement system for a subject vehicle comprising:

a ranging system adapted for detecting objects in a region external to the subject vehicle and for providing corresponding detected object data;

an imaging system adapted for detecting objects in said region external to the subject vehicle and for providing corresponding detected object data;

a GPS system adapted for detecting objects in said region external to the subject vehicle and for providing corresponding detected object data;

a visual display; and

,

a control unit adapted to receive detected object data from ranging, imaging and GPS systems and render a three-dimensional visualization of said region on the visual display including detected objects and the subject vehicle from a viewpoint perspective that is remote from the subject vehicle.

2. The situation awareness enhancement system for a subject vehicle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system adapted for receiving detected object data from other vehicles in said region external to the subject vehicle;

wherein said control unit is further adapted to receive detected object data from said vehicle-to-vehicle communication system for use in rendering said three-dimensional visualization of said region.

3. The situation awareness enhancement system for a subject vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the viewpoint perspective is selectively variable.

4. The situation awareness enhancement system for a subject vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein detected object data corresponding to the ranging system includes one or more of range, range-rate and angular position data.

5. The situation awareness enhancement system for a subject vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the imaging system is adapted for object recognition.

6. The situation awareness enhancement system for a subject vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the GPS system is adapted for object identification.

7. The situation awareness enhancement system for a subject vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the visual display comprises a head-up display.

8. The situation awareness enhancement system for a subject vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ranging system includes one or more of a radar system, a ladar system, a lidar system, a sonar system and an imaging system.

9. The situation awareness enhancement system for a subject vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detected objects are rendered for display in colors substantially corresponding to the actual colors of the detected objects.

10. Method for enhancing situation awareness of a subject vehicle operator, comprising:

providing object data corresponding to objects detected within a region external to the subject vehicle from a ranging system, an imaging system, and a GPS system; and

,

rendering a three-dimensional visualization of said region on a visual display based on the object data including representations of detected objects and the subject vehicle from a viewpoint perspective that is remote from the subject vehicle possibly with color matching the actual color of the object/vehicle.

11. The method for enhancing situation awareness of a subject vehicle operator as claimed in claim 10 further comprising:

providing object data corresponding to objects detected within said region external to the subject vehicle from a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system.

12. The method for enhancing situation awareness of a subject vehicle operator as claimed in claim 10 further comprising:

fusing the object data corresponding to detected objects;

wherein rendering the three-dimensional visualization of said region on a visual display is based on the fused object data.

13. The method for enhancing situation awareness of a subject vehicle operator as claimed in claim 10 wherein object data corresponding to the ranging system includes one or more of range, range-rate and angular position data.

14. The method for enhancing situation awareness of a subject vehicle operator as claimed in claim 10 wherein object data corresponding to the imaging system includes object recognition data.

15. The method for enhancing situation awareness of a subject vehicle operator as claimed in claim 10 wherein object data corresponding to the GPS system includes object identification data.

16. The method for enhancing situation awareness of a subject vehicle operator as claimed in claim 10 wherein rendering a three-dimensional visualization of said region on a visual display is done in accordance with an operator selected viewpoint perspective.

17. The method for enhancing situation awareness of a subject vehicle operator as claimed in claim 10 wherein rendering a three-dimensional visualization of said region on a visual display based on the object data includes rendering the detected objects in colors substantially corresponding to the actual colors of the detected objects.