ACTUATING DEVICE FOR A DEVICE FOR MONITORING THE VEHICLE SURROUNDINGS

• US 20130147956A1
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Florian Raisch, Tobias Ehlgen
• Inventors: EHLGEN, Tobias, RAISCH, Florian
• Granted Patent: US 9,386,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/402 Image calibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

An actuating device is provided for a device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings, which actuating device is functionally connected to the device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings. A calibration of the device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings is able to be initiated by means of the actuating device, the initiation of the calibration being correlated with a weather parameter detected by the actuating device.

Claims

1. An actuating device for a device for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle, comprising:

a detection device provided as the actuating device;

wherein the actuating device;

(i) detects a weather parameter;

(ii) is functionally connected to the device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings; and

(iii) initiates a calibration of the device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings, the initiation of the calibration being dependent on the weather parameter detected by the actuating device.

2. The actuating device as recited in claim 1, wherein the actuating device is a first camera which is situated in the vehicle interior and has an outwardly directed line of sight.

3. The actuating device as recited in claim 2, wherein the first camera is situated behind a vehicle windshield which is oriented essentially orthogonally to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

4. The actuating device as recited in claim 3, wherein the first camera is a multi-purpose camera.

5. The actuating device as recited in claim 2, wherein the first camera performs a calibration of the device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings when structures are detected.

6. The actuating device as recited in claim 2, wherein the calibration is performed when the device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings is not in use.

7. A method for initiating, by an actuating device, a calibration of a device for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle, the actuating device being connected to the device for monitoring the surroundings, the method comprising:

detecting, by the actuating device, at least one weather parameter; and

initiating the calibration of the device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings if the weather parameter allows an essentially normal functionality of the device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein features of the vehicle surroundings detected by the actuating device are used to calibrate the device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein a time interval between successive calibration processes is set.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings has at least one camera, and wherein the time interval between successive calibration processes is set as a function of a movement frequency of the at least one camera of the device for monitoring the vehicle surroundings.