MOTOR VEHICLE WITH A DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATING A DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

• US 20140043483A1
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Schuder, Claudia, Bruns, Erich
• Granted Patent: US 9,641,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2420/403 Image sensing, e.g. optical camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/06 Automatic manoeuvring for parking
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/675 by moving reflectors
• 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: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a control device and at least one lighting device which is controllable by the control device sequentially in at least two modes which illuminate surroundings of the vehicle differently. At least one camera captures at least two images of the differently illuminated surroundings of the vehicle. The at least two different images are processed by an image processing device for producing a processing result which is transmitted for control of a driver assistance system.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a control device;

at least one lighting device controllable by the control device sequentially in at least two modes which illuminate surroundings of the vehicle differently;

at least one camera for capturing at least two images of the differently illuminated surroundings of the vehicle;

an image processing device configured for processing the at least two different images for producing a processing result; and

a driver assistance system controlled in response to the processing result.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the lighting device includes at least one light source capable of being modulated.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the lighting device includes a plurality of light sources, said control device being configured for switching or modulation of the light sources individually or in groups.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the lighting device includes at least one micro-mirror actuator.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processing result is a distance interval for an object at at least one pixel, said control device having at least one further modus to differently illuminate the surroundings of the vehicle for operating the lighting device, said image processing device configured to process at least one further different image, when the distance interval has a width which exceeds a desired value.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the driver assistance system is configured for autonomous execution of individual driving maneuvers.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the driver assistance system is configured for autonomous execution of entering a garage or parking.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 1, wherein the driver assistance system is configured for displaying on a display an image computed from the processing result of the image processing device or complemented by an image of the vehicle surroundings.

9. A method of operating a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, comprising:

capturing a first image by a camera of a first area of a vehicle surroundings illuminated by a lighting device when operating in a first mode;

capturing a second image by the camera of a second area of the vehicle surroundings illuminated by the lighting device when operating in a second mode;

processing the first and second images by an image processing device to produce a processing result; and

transmitting the processing result to the driver assistance system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the processing step includes determining a distance interval for an object at at least one pixel, and capturing a third image by the camera of a third area of the vehicle surroundings illuminated by the lighting device when operating in a third mode and processing the third image by the image processing device, when a width of the distance interval exceeds a desired value.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising autonomously executing a driving maneuver by the driver assistance system in response to the transmitted processing result.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the driving maneuver involves entering a garage or parking.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the driver assistance system operates in either of two ways, a first way in which the driver assistance system computes an image of the vehicle surroundings in response to the transmitted processing result and subsequently displays the computed image on a display, a second way in which the driver assistance system supplements the processing result with at least one of the first and second images and subsequently displays the supplemented image on a display.