Driver Assistance Device for a Vehicle and a Method for Visualizing the Surroundings of a Vehicle

• US 20080316011A1
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yanfeng Czechia Automotive Interior Systems s.r.o.
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls GmbH (Adient plc)
• Inventors: Schliep, Frank, Kirsch, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 8,519,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/149 Instrument input by detecting viewing direction not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/191 Highlight information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/285 for improving awareness by directing driver's gaze direction or eye points
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• 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 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• 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 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8033 for pedestrian protection
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0181 Adaptation to the pilot/driver
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 : slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 : Head-up displays

Abstract

The invention relates to a driver assistance device for a vehicle and a method for visualising the environment of the vehicle. Said driver assistance device is associated with two sensors for detecting the environment of the vehicle. The sensors have a different resolution and/or the driver assistance device is associated with a display device. Said display device is arranged in the region of the front disk in order to restrict analogic contact on the display which represents attentiveness information.

Claims

1. A driver assistance device for a vehicle, wherein at least two sensors for sensing the surroundings of the vehicle are assigned to the driver assistance device, and wherein at least one of a display device and a device for determining the position of the driver'"'"'s head is assigned to the driver assistance device.

2. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two sensors are provided for sensing in different spectral ranges.

3. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first sensor is provided for sensing in the range of visible light, and the second sensor is provided for sensing in the range of infrared light.

4. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second sensor has a lower resolution than the first sensor, wherein the sensors are provided in or on the roof bracket, in or on the windshield or in or on the rear view mirror of the vehicle.

5. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensors have different resolutions.

6. The driver assistance device as in claim 1, wherein the display device is provided in the region of the front windshield (30) and/or in the region of the cockpit of the vehicle and/or in the region of the center console of the vehicle.

7. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device, a headup display, is provided in the region of the front windshield.

8. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device is provided for displaying attentiveness information and/or for displaying a graphic representation of at least part of the surroundings of the vehicle.

9. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 8, wherein, in order to extract the attentiveness information, there is provision for data which is supplied by a sensor of the at least two sensors to be processed, or, in order to extract the attentiveness information, there is provision for data which is supplied by the at least two sensors to be merged.

10. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the attentiveness information is a luminous marking and/or a cartoon-like display.

11. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the attentiveness information comprises distance information.

12. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 8, wherein there is provision for the attentiveness information to be displayed in a restrictedly contact-analogous fashion in the region of the front windshield.

13. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the attentiveness information is a luminous marking in the peripheral region of the front windshield.

14. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the location of the attentiveness information and/or of the graphic representation is dependent on the position of the driver'"'"'s head.

15. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the graphic representation corresponds to the display of data which is supplied by one sensor of the at least two sensors, or the graphic representation corresponds to a merged display of data which is supplied by the at least two sensors.

16. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the graphic representation comprises a representation in incorrect colors, and wherein in particular the representation in incorrect colors is due to the second sensor.

17. A method for visualizing the surroundings of a vehicle, wherein at least two sensors sense the surroundings of the vehicle in order to generate attentiveness information, and wherein a driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1.

18. A driver assistance device for a vehicle, wherein a display device is assigned to the driver assistance device, wherein the display device is provided in the region of the front windshield in order to display attentiveness information in a restrictedly contact-analogous fashion.

19. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 18, wherein two sensors for sensing the surroundings of the vehicle are assigned to the driver assistance device, wherein there is provision for data which is supplied by the at least two sensors to be merged in order to extract the attentiveness information.

20. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the attentiveness information is a display which is projected into the region of the front windshield, in particular a luminous marking and/or a cartoon-like display.

21. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the attentiveness information is a luminous marking in the peripheral region of the front windshield.

22. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the display device is a headup display.

23. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 18, wherein a device for determining the position of the driver'"'"'s head is assigned to the driver assistance device, and the location of the attentiveness information is dependent on the position of the driver'"'"'s head.

24. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the attentiveness information comprises distance information.

25. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the at least two sensors are provided for sensing in different spectral ranges, in particular in the range of visible light and/or in the far infrared range and/or in the near infrared range.

26. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 18, wherein an additional display is assigned to the driver assistance device, wherein the additional display is provided for displaying a graphic representation of at least part of the surroundings of the vehicle.

27. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the graphic representation corresponds to a merged representation of signals from the two sensors, wherein in particular the merged representation comprises a representation in incorrect colors, and wherein, in particular, the representation in incorrect colors is due to a sensor which is sensitive in the infrared range, preferably in the long wave infrared range, wherein, in particular, the sensors have different resolutions.

28. A method for visualizing the surroundings of a vehicle, wherein at least two sensors sense the surroundings of the vehicle in order to generate attentiveness information, wherein data which is supplied by the at least two sensors is merged, and wherein the attentiveness information is displayed in a restrictedly contact-analogous fashion in the region of the front windshield by means of a display device.