Motor Vehicle Comprising A Sensor For Detecting An Obstacle In The Surroundings Of The Motor Vehicle

• US 20070159312A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Chen, Pao, Rosario, Daniel, Stoschek, Anne
• Application Number:
  US11/566,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159312A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/005 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/006 using a distance sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/007 providing information about the distance to an obstacle, e.g. varying sound

Abstract

A motor vehicle has a sensor for detecting an obstacle in the surroundings of the motor vehicle and a control system for assigning the symbol for identifying the detected obstacle to the image of said surroundings of the motor vehicle, wherein the position of the symbol in relation to the image corresponds substantially to the position of the obstacle in the image, and wherein a display arrangement is provided for representing the image of said surroundings of the motor vehicle together with the symbol.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

a sensor for detecting an obstacle in the surroundings of the motor vehicle;

a control system for integrating a symbol for identifying a detected obstacle into an image of said surroundings of the motor vehicle or for assigning the symbol for identifying the detected obstacle to the image of said surroundings of the motor vehicle, wherein the position of the symbol relating to the image corresponds substantially to the position of the obstacle in the image; and

a display arrangement for representing the image of said surroundings of the motor vehicle together with the symbol.

2. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the symbol comprises a specification relating to a distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle or is designed as a specification relating to a distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle.

3. A motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by the control system by means of a travel time measurement.

4. A motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by the control system by means of interferometry.

5. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the symbol comprises a warning relating to the obstacle or is designed as a warning relating to the obstacle.

6. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the symbol comprises a specification relating to a distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle and also a warning relating to the obstacle.

7. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, the sensor comprising:

a camera.

8. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, the sensor comprising:

a laser for emitting a light beam.

9. A motor vehicle according to claim 8, the sensor further comprising:

a camera adapted to a wavelength of the light beam.

10. A motor vehicle according to claim 8, the sensor further comprising:

a two-dimensional scanning device for moving the light beam in a first plane and also in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, wherein the light beam is deflected in the surroundings of the motor vehicle.

11. A motor vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the two-dimensional scanning device comprises an MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) or is designed as an MEMS.

12. A motor vehicle according to claim 10, the sensor further comprising:

a camera for detecting a part of the light beam, said part being reflected by said surroundings of the motor vehicle.

13. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, the sensor comprising:

a laser for emitting a light beam;

a two-dimensional scanning device for moving the light beam in a first plane and also in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, wherein the light beam is deflected in the surroundings of the motor vehicle; and

a camera adapted to a wavelength of the light beam for detecting a part of the light beam, said part being reflected by said surroundings of the motor vehicle.

14. A motor vehicle according to claim 2, the sensor comprising:

a laser for emitting a light beam;

a two-dimensional scanning device for moving the light beam in a first plane and also in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, wherein the light beam is deflected in the surroundings of the motor vehicle; and

a camera adapted to a wavelength of the light beam for detecting a part of the light beam, said part being reflected by said surroundings of the motor vehicle.

15. A motor vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by means of the control system by measuring the thermal intensity in a wavelength of the light beam.

16. A motor vehicle according to claim 1, the sensor comprising:

a laser for emitting a light beam; and

a mirror for reflecting the light beam in the surroundings of the motor vehicle, wherein the mirror is connected to a first torsional element having a first torsional axis, wherein the first torsional element is connected to a second torsional element having a second torsional axis, and wherein the first torsional axis is directed substantially orthogonal to the second torsional axis or the first torsional axis has at least one component that is orthogonal to the second torsional axis.

17. A motor vehicle according to claim 16, the sensor further comprising:

a camera for detecting a part of the light beam, said part being reflected by said surroundings of the motor vehicle.

18. A method for operating a motor vehicle, said method comprising:

the detection of an obstacle in the surroundings of the motor vehicle;

the detection of an image of said surroundings of the motor vehicle; and

representation of the image of said surroundings of the motor vehicle together with a symbol for identifying a detected obstacle, wherein the symbol superimposes over the image at a position, which corresponds substantially to that of the obstacle in the image.

19. A motor vehicle, said motor vehicle comprising:

a laser for emitting a light beam;

a mirror for reflecting the light beam in the surroundings of the motor vehicle, wherein the mirror is connected to a first torsional element having a first torsional axis, wherein the first torsional element is connected to a second torsional element having a second torsional axis, and wherein the first torsional axis is directed substantially orthogonal to the second torsional axis or the first torsional axis has at least one component that is orthogonal to the second torsional axis;

a camera for detecting a part of the light beam, said part being reflected by said surroundings of the motor vehicle.

20. A motor vehicle according to claim 19, said motor vehicle further comprising:

a control system for determining the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle.

21. A motor vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by the control system by means of a travel time measurement.

22. A motor vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by the control system by means of interferometry.

23. A motor vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by means of the control system by measuring the thermal intensity in a wavelength of the light beam.

24. Motor vehicle, said motor vehicle comprising:

a laser for emitting a light beam;

a two-dimensional scanning device for moving the light beam in a first plane and also in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, wherein the light beam is deflected in the surroundings of the motor vehicle;

a camera for detecting a part of the light beam, said part being reflected by said surroundings of the motor vehicle.

25. A motor vehicle according to claim 24, said motor vehicle further comprising:

a control system for determining the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle.

26. A motor vehicle according to claim 25, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by the control unit by means of a travel time measurement.

27. A motor vehicle according to claim 25, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by the control system by means of interferometry.

28. A motor vehicle according to claim 25, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by means of the control system by measuring the thermal intensity in a wavelength of the light beam.

29. A motor vehicle, said motor vehicle comprising:

a sensor arrangement for determining the distance between the motor vehicle and an obstacle in the surroundings of the motor vehicle and also for determining the contour of the obstacle;

a control unit for integrating a specification relating to the distance between the motor vehicle and a detected obstacle into the contour of the detected obstacle or for assigning said specification and said contour; and

a display arrangement for representing said contour together with said specification, wherein the position of said specification is located in the vicinity of that of said contour.

30. A motor vehicle according to claim 29, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by means of a travel time measurement.

31. A motor vehicle according to claim 29, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by means of interferometry.

32. A motor vehicle according to claim 29, the sensor arrangement comprising:

a camera.

33. A motor vehicle according to claim 29, the sensor arrangement further comprising:

a laser for emitting a light beam.

34. A motor vehicle according to claim 33, the sensor arrangement further comprising:

a camera adapted to a wavelength of the light beam.

35. A motor vehicle according to claim 33, the sensor arrangement further comprising:

a two-dimensional scanning device for moving the light beam in a first plane and also in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, wherein the light beam is deflected in the surroundings of the motor vehicle.

36. A motor vehicle according to claim 35, wherein the two-dimensional scanning device comprises an MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) or is designed as an MEMS.

37. A motor vehicle according to claim 35, the sensor arrangement further comprising:

a camera for detecting a part of the light beam, said part being reflected by said surroundings of the motor vehicle.

38. A motor vehicle according to claim 29, the sensor arrangement comprising:

a laser for emitting a light beam;

a two-dimensional scanning device for moving the light beam in a first plane and also in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, wherein the light beam is deflected in the surroundings of the motor vehicle; and

a camera adapted to a wavelength of the light beam for detecting a part of the light beam, said part being reflected by said surroundings of the motor vehicle.

39. A motor vehicle according to claim 38, wherein the distance between the motor vehicle and the obstacle can be determined by measuring the thermal intensity in a wavelength of the light beam.

40. A motor vehicle according to claim 29, the sensor arrangement comprising:

a laser for emitting a light beam; and

a mirror for reflecting the light beam in the surroundings of the motor vehicle, wherein the mirror is connected to a first torsional element having a first torsional axis, wherein the first torsional element is connected to a second torsional element having a second torsional axis, and wherein the first torsional axis is substantially directed orthogonal to the second torsional axis or the first torsional axis has at least one component that is orthogonal to the second torsional axis.

41. A motor vehicle according to claim 40, the sensor arrangement further comprising:

a camera for detecting a part of the light beam, said part being reflected by said surroundings of the motor vehicle.