VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM WITH ENHANCED FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20130141578A1
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chundrlik, William J. Jr., Nix, Axel, Van Dan Elzen, Christopher L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,264,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00771 the input being a vehicle position or surrounding, e.g. GPS-based position or tunnel
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/12 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8086 for vehicle path indication
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vehicle vision system includes at least one camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle, and includes a control having an image processor for processing image data captured by the at least one camera. The control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by the image processor, is operable to carry out one or more actions based on the detection of selected elements in the image data captured by the at least one camera. The control may control the operation of an additional component in the vehicle aside from the camera. The vision system may include a forward facing camera, a rearward facing camera and/or a sideward facing camera.

Claims

1. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

at least one camera disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system, wherein said at least one camera has a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle;

a control comprising an image processor for processing image data captured by said at least one camera; and

wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to at least one of (i) control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a type of vehicle detected exterior of the equipped vehicle, (ii) control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a vehicle detected exterior of the equipped vehicle being within a threshold distance of the equipped vehicle, (iii) adjust a visor of the equipped vehicle to block sunlight responsive to detection of the sun at a location where the sunlight is bothersome to the driver of the equipped vehicle, (iv) adjust an audio system of the equipped vehicle responsive to detection of a sign, (v) adjust a pedestrian detection system of the equipped vehicle to a higher sensitivity responsive to detection of a sign, (vi) generate an audible signal that is audible exterior of the equipped vehicle responsive to detection of a pedestrian that is a potential collision risk, (vii) determine a license plate number of a vehicle exterior of the equipped vehicle and, responsive to the license plate number matching a stored license plate number, generate an alert, (viii) determine if a vehicle at a side of a road is abandoned, (ix) determine if the equipped vehicle is at a vehicle garage and, responsive to such a determination, actuate a garage door opening system to open the garage door of the vehicle garage, (x) detect indicia at a garage and, responsive to such detection and responsive to the equipped vehicle being at a predetermined position relative to said indicia, control a garage door opening system, (xi) detect indicia at a parking structure and, responsive to such detection, control a timer that tracks the time that the equipped vehicle is at the parking structure, (xii) trigger automatic payment of a parking fee, (xiii) detect indicia at a parking space and, responsive to detection of said indicia and after the driver exits the equipped vehicle, control the equipped vehicle and drive the equipped vehicle into the parking space, and (xiv) control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to detection of a construction zone.

2. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said at least one camera comprises a forward-facing camera having a forward field of view ahead of the equipped vehicle.

3. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said at least one camera comprises a rearward-facing camera having a rearward field of view rearward the equipped vehicle.

4. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said at least one camera comprises a sideward-facing camera having a sideward field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle.

5. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a type of vehicle detected exterior of the equipped vehicle.

6. The vision system of claim 5, wherein said at least one camera comprises a forward-facing camera having a forward field of view ahead of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a type of vehicle detected ahead of the equipped vehicle.

7. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a vehicle detected exterior of the equipped vehicle being within a threshold distance of the equipped vehicle.

8. The vision system of claim 7, wherein said at least one camera comprises a forward-facing camera having a forward field of view ahead of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a vehicle detected ahead of the equipped vehicle being within a threshold distance ahead of the equipped vehicle.

9. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to adjust a visor of the equipped vehicle to block sunlight responsive to detection of the sun at a location where the sunlight is bothersome to the driver of the equipped vehicle.

10. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to adjust an audio system of the equipped vehicle responsive to detection of a sign.

11. The vision system of claim 10, wherein said control is operable to adjust the audio system of the equipped vehicle responsive to detection of a school zone sign.

12. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to adjust a pedestrian detection system of the equipped vehicle to a higher sensitivity responsive to detection of a sign.

13. The vision system of claim 12, wherein said control is operable to adjust the pedestrian detection system of the equipped vehicle to the higher sensitivity responsive to detection of a school zone sign.

14. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor and responsive to detection of a pedestrian that is a potential collision risk, is operable to generate an audible signal that is audible exterior of the equipped vehicle.

15. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to determine a license plate number of a vehicle exterior of the equipped vehicle and, responsive to the license plate number matching a stored license plate number, generate an alert.

16. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to determine if a vehicle at a side of a road is abandoned.

17. The vision system of claim 16, wherein said control, responsive to a determination that a vehicle at the side of the road is abandoned, is operable to read the license plate number of the abandoned vehicle and generate an alert.

18. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to determine if the equipped vehicle is at a vehicle garage with a closed garage door and, responsive to such a determination, actuates a garage door opening system to open the garage door of the vehicle garage.

19. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to detect indicia at a garage and, responsive to such detection and responsive to the equipped vehicle being at a predetermined position relative to said indicia, control a garage door opening system.

20. The vision system of claim 19, wherein said control, responsive to the equipped vehicle being at the predetermined position relative to said indicia, controls the garage door opening system to close the garage door.

21. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to detect indicia at a parking structure, and wherein said control, responsive to such detection, tracks the time that the equipped vehicle is at the parking structure.

22. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to trigger automatic payment of a parking fee.

23. The vision system of claim 22, wherein said control triggers automatic payment of the parking fee when said control determines that the equipped vehicle exits a parking structure.

24. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to detect indicia at a parking space, and wherein said control, responsive to detection of said indicia and after the driver exits the equipped vehicle, controls the equipped vehicle to drive the equipped vehicle into the parking space.

25. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to detection of a construction zone.

26. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to detect the presence of a pothole in front of the equipped vehicle and, responsive to such detection, adjust a suspension setting of an adjustable suspension system of the equipped vehicle.

27. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to said image processing of captured image data, is operable to detect the presence of an emergency vehicle and, responsive to such detection, adjust an audio system of the equipped vehicle.

28. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to detect the presence of vehicles in adjacent lanes of traffic, and wherein, responsive to such detection, said control adjusts the sensitivity of at least one of a lane-departure warning system of the equipped vehicle and a lane-keeping system of the equipped vehicle.

29. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to access a memory containing images of landmarks to determine if one of the landmarks is in the field of view of said at least one camera, and wherein said control, responsive to a determination that one of the landmarks is in the field of view of said camera, communicates with a navigation system of the equipped vehicle.

30. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

at least one camera disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system, wherein said at least one camera has a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle;

a control comprising an image processor for processing image data captured by said at least one camera; and

wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to at least one of (i) control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a type of vehicle detected exterior of the equipped vehicle, (ii) control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a vehicle detected exterior of the equipped vehicle being within a threshold distance of the equipped vehicle, and (iii) control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to detection of a construction zone.

31. The vision system of claim 30, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a type of vehicle detected exterior of the equipped vehicle.

32. The vision system of claim 31, wherein said camera comprises a forward-facing camera having a forward field of view ahead of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a type of vehicle detected ahead of the equipped vehicle.

33. The vision system of claim 30, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a vehicle detected exterior of the equipped vehicle being within a threshold distance of the equipped vehicle.

34. The vision system of claim 33, wherein said at least one camera comprises a forward-facing camera having a forward field of view ahead of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to a vehicle detected ahead of the equipped vehicle being within a threshold distance ahead of the equipped vehicle.

35. The vision system of claim 30, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to adjust a visor of the equipped vehicle to block sunlight responsive to detection of the sun at a location where the sunlight is bothersome to the driver of the equipped vehicle.

36. The vision system of claim 30, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to control an HVAC system of the equipped vehicle responsive to detection of a construction zone.

37. The vision system of claim 30, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to adjust a visor of the equipped vehicle to block sunlight responsive to detection of the sun at a location where the sunlight is bothersome to the driver of the equipped vehicle.

38. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

at least one camera disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system, wherein said at least one camera has a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle;

a control comprising an image processor for processing image data captured by said at least one camera; and

wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to at least one of (i) determine if the equipped vehicle is at a vehicle garage and, responsive to such a determination, actuate a garage door opening system to open the garage door of the vehicle garage, (ii) detect indicia at a garage and, responsive to such detection and responsive to the equipped vehicle being at a predetermined position relative to said indicia, control a garage door opening system, (iii) detect indicia at a parking structure and, responsive to such detection, control a timer that tracks the time that the equipped vehicle is at the parking structure, (iv) trigger automatic payment of a parking fee, (v) detect indicia at a parking structure and, responsive to such detection, control a timer that tracks the time that the equipped vehicle is at the parking structure and, when the equipped vehicle is driven from the parking structure, detect a second indicia that triggers automatic payment of a parking fee, and (vi) detect indicia at a parking space and, responsive to detection of said indicia and after the driver exits the equipped vehicle, control the equipped vehicle to drive the equipped vehicle into the parking space.

39. The vision system of claim 38, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to determine if the equipped vehicle is at a vehicle garage with a closed garage door and, responsive to such a determination, actuate a garage door opening system to open the garage door of the vehicle garage.

40. The vision system of claim 38, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to detect indicia at a garage and, responsive to such detection and responsive to the equipped vehicle being at a predetermined position relative to said indicia, control a garage door opening system.

41. The vision system of claim 40, wherein, responsive to the equipped vehicle being at the predetermined position relative to said indicia, said control controls the garage door opening system to close the garage door.

42. The vision system of claim 38, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to detect indicia at a parking structure and wherein said control, responsive to such detection, tracks the time that the equipped vehicle is at the parking structure.

43. The vision system of claim 38, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to trigger automatic payment of a parking fee.

44. The vision system of claim 43, wherein said control triggers automatic payment of the parking fee when said control determines that the equipped vehicle exits a parking structure.

45. The vision system of claim 38, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to detect indicia at a parking structure and, responsive to such detection, control a timer that tracks the time that the equipped vehicle is in the parking structure, and wherein said control, when the equipped vehicle is driven from the parking structure, is operable to detect a second indicia that triggers automatic payment of a parking fee.

46. The vision system of claim 38, wherein said control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, is operable to detect indicia at a parking space and, responsive to detection of said indicia and after the driver exits the equipped vehicle, control the equipped vehicle to drive the equipped vehicle into the parking space.