TRANSMITTING A COMPOSITE IMAGE

• US 20100295937A1
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Longobardi, Giuseppe
• Granted Patent: US 8,416,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/32 involving image mosaicing
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/164 Centralised systems, e.g. external to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Embodiments described herein comprise a system and method for improving visibility of a roadway using an improved visibility system. The method comprising receiving data from a plurality of fog detectors located proximate a roadway and determining, based on the data from the plurality of fog detectors, that fog is present about the roadway. The method further comprising obtaining, after the determining that fog is present about the roadway, a plurality of images of the roadway by activating a plurality of cameras located proximate the roadway. The method further comprising creating a composite image by combining two or more of the plurality of images, wherein the composite image depicts the roadway unobstructed by fog and transmitting the composite image to a display device located in a vehicle traveling along the roadway.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data from a plurality of fog detectors located proximate a roadway;

determining, based on the data from the plurality of fog detectors, that fog is present about the roadway;

obtaining, after the determining that fog is present about the roadway, a plurality of images of the roadway by activating a plurality of cameras located proximate the roadway;

creating a composite image by combining two or more of the plurality of images, wherein the composite image depicts the roadway unobstructed by fog; and

transmitting the composite image to a display device located in a vehicle traveling along the roadway.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the data, a density of the fog.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the density of the fog further comprises:

sending a signal between at least some of the fog detectors.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a location of the vehicle relative to the plurality of cameras.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating another composite image by combining another two or more of the plurality of images, wherein the other composite image depicts the roadway unobstructed by fog; and

transmitting the other composite image to the display device located in the vehicle traveling along the roadway.

6. A system comprising:

a fog detection unit configured to determine fog is present near a roadway;

a plurality of cameras located proximate the roadway, wherein each of the cameras is configured to obtain an image of a portion of the roadway;

an activation unit configured to activate, after fog is detected near the roadway, the plurality of cameras;

a roadway imaging unit configured to combine the images from the plurality of cameras to create a composite image showing a plurality of the portions of the roadway unobstructed by fog; and

a transceiver unit configured to send the composite image to vehicles traveling on the roadway.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the fog detection unit is further configured to determine the density of the fog by emission and collection of a light.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

display devices located within the vehicles, wherein the display devices are configured to display the composite image.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the display devices are handheld devices configured to be removed from the vehicles.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the display devices are integrated into dashboards of the vehicles.

11. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting, in a vehicle on a roadway, the presence of fog on the roadway;

receiving, in the vehicle, a first composite image showing the roadway unobstructed by fog, wherein the first composite image includes data from a first plurality of images captured from a first plurality of locations along the roadway;

displaying the composite image in the vehicle; and

receiving, in the vehicle, a second composite image showing the roadway unobstructed by fog, wherein the second composite image includes data from a second plurality of images captured from a second plurality of locations along the roadway.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therewith, said computer readable code comprising:

computer readable code configured to receive data from a plurality of fog detectors located proximate a roadway;

computer readable code configured to determine, based on the data from the plurality of fog detectors, that fog is present about the roadway;

computer readable code configured to obtain, after the determination that fog is present about the roadway, a plurality of images of the roadway by activation of a plurality of cameras located proximate the roadway;

computer readable code configured to create a composite image by combining two or more of the plurality of images, wherein the composite image depicts the roadway unobstructed by fog; and

computer readable code configured to transmit the composite image to a display device located in a vehicle traveling along the roadway.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining, in the vehicle, a density of the fog.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting the first plurality of cameras based on the density of the fog.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting the second plurality of cameras based on the density of the fog.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a location of the vehicle on the roadway.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

computer readable code configured to determine, based on the data, a density of the fog.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the determination of the density of the fog includes transmission of a signal between some of the fog detectors.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

computer readable code configured to detect a location of the vehicle relative to the plurality of cameras.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

computer readable code configured to create another composite image by combining another two or more of the plurality of images, wherein the other composite image depicts the roadway unobstructed by fog; and

computer readable code configured to transmit the other composite image to the display device located in the vehicle traveling along the roadway.