Methods and Apparatuses for Informing an Occupant of a Vehicle of Surroundings of the Vehicle

• US 20110175752A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Augst, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,754,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/905
• 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 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for informing an occupant of a vehicle of surroundings of the vehicle are provided. A recording unit of the vehicle generates at least two images, which contain different road sections of a road plane in the surroundings of the vehicle. The at least two images are processed by an image processing unit, which generates a depiction in which the at least two images are imaged on a virtual road plane that is displayed in perspective. The depiction is displayed on a display unit in the interior of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for informing an occupant of a vehicle of surroundings of the vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

generating at least two images, which contain different road sections of a road plane in the surroundings of the vehicle;

processing the at least two images;

generating a depiction in which the at least two images are imaged on a virtual road plane that is displayed in perspective; and

displaying the depiction on a display unit in an interior of the vehicle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the virtual road plane is displayed in perspective by at least one of a limiting shape of the virtual road plane or an arrangement of the at least two images in relation to each other.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least two images are imaged on the virtual road plane by a geometric transformation, which is applied such that the transformation of the at least two images corresponds essentially to the perspective in which the virtual road plane is displayed.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the depiction includes a vehicle model,

a perspective in which the vehicle model is displayed corresponds essentially to the perspective in which the virtual road plane is displayed,

the perspective in which the vehicle model is displayed and the perspective in which the virtual plane is displayed correspond to a same virtual viewing point, and

a position of the vehicle model relative to the virtual road plane corresponds essentially to an actual position of the vehicle relative to the road.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the depiction includes at least one additional virtual plane, which is different from the virtual road plane,

a part of the surroundings of the vehicle is imaged on the at least one additional virtual plane,

the at least one additional virtual plane is displayed as standing essentially perpendicularly to the virtual road plane, and

the part of the surroundings of the vehicle is imaged on the at least one additional virtual plane by a geometric transformation, which is applied such that the transformation of the part of the surroundings of the vehicle corresponds essentially to a perspective in which the at least one additional virtual plane is displayed.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one additional virtual plane and the virtual road plane are displayed in such a perspective correlation to each other that the perspective correlation corresponds essentially to a perspective correlation in the surroundings of the vehicle in relation to a predetermined viewing point.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the depiction includes a vehicle model, and

the at least one additional virtual plane and the virtual road plane are displayed in such a perspective correlation to each other and to the vehicle model that the perspective correlation corresponds essentially to a perspective correlation in the surroundings of the vehicle in relation to a predetermined viewing point.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the act of changing at least one of the perspective in which the virtual road plane is displayed or the perspective in which the at least one additional virtual plane is displayed as a function of at least one of current odometric data of the vehicle or an automatically recognized driving intention of a driver of the vehicle.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an actual position of the vehicle in relation to the road sections is depicted in the depiction.

10. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the act of changing at least one of the perspective in which the virtual road plane is displayed or the perspective in which the at least one additional virtual plane is displayed as a function of predetermined events.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the act of changing the depiction such that a virtual viewing angle that is generated by the depiction with respect to at least one of the virtual road plane or the at least one additional virtual plane, is changed without changing a perspective correlation of the planes contained in the depiction or a correlation of the images imaged on the planes.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein

the virtual road plane is at least one of rotated about an axis that runs vertically to the virtual road plane or tilted with respect to the axis that runs vertically to the virtual road plane, and

a perspective correlation in the depiction between the virtual road plane, the at least one additional virtual plane, and the vehicle model remains essentially unaffected.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a depth effect perceived by a viewer is at least one of generated in the depiction or changed as a function of a situation.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the virtual road plane is formed as a function of at least one of an automatically recorded three-dimensional shape of the road sections or objects located on the automatically recorded three-dimensional shape of the road sections.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depiction includes at least one warning indicator that includes a marking of a potential collision point of at least one part of the vehicle with at least one object in the surroundings of the vehicle.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depiction includes at least one trajectory, which is depicted in the perspective of the virtual road plane and indicates a future direction of movement of at least one of the vehicle or at least one object in the surroundings of the vehicle.

17. An information system for informing an occupant of a vehicle of surroundings of the vehicle, the information system comprising:

a recording unit that generates at least two images, which contain a plurality of road sections of a road plane in the surroundings of the vehicle;

an image processing unit that processes the at least two images and generates a depiction in which the at least two images are imaged on a virtual road plane that displayed in perspective; and

a display unit that is arranged in an interior of the vehicle and displays the depiction.

18. The information system as claimed in claim 17, wherein:

the depiction includes at least one additional virtual plane, which is different from the virtual road plane,

a part of the surroundings of the vehicle is imaged on the at least one additional virtual plane,

the at least one additional virtual plane is displayed as standing essentially perpendicularly to the virtual road plane, and

the part of the surroundings of the vehicle is imaged on the at least one additional virtual plane by a geometric transformation, which is applied such that the transformation of the part of the surroundings of the vehicle corresponds essentially to a perspective in which the at least one additional virtual plane is displayed.

19. A vehicle comprising an information system for informing an occupant of a vehicle of surroundings of the vehicle, the information system comprising:

a recording unit that generates at least two images, which contain a plurality of road sections of a road plane in the surroundings of the vehicle;

an image processing unit that processes the at least two images and generates a depiction in which the at least two images are imaged on a virtual road plane that displayed in perspective; and

a display unit that is arranged in an interior of the vehicle and displays the depiction.

20. The vehicle as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

the depiction includes at least one additional virtual plane, which is different from the virtual road plane,

a part of the surroundings of the vehicle is imaged on the at least one additional virtual plane,

the at least one additional virtual plane is displayed as standing essentially perpendicularly to the virtual road plane, and

the part of the surroundings of the vehicle is imaged on the at least one additional virtual plane by a geometric transformation, which is applied such that the transformation of the part of the surroundings of the vehicle corresponds essentially to a perspective in which the at least one additional virtual plane is displayed.