Apparatus and Method for Assisting Parking

• US 20140285665A1
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Yong, Kim, Dae Seung
• Granted Patent: US 9,959,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• 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 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0295 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for assisting parking, the apparatus including: an image sensor photographing front/rear view images of a vehicle; and an estimated trace of vehicle generation and process unit generating an estimated trace of the vehicle to a parking target area using steering angle information of the vehicle, and overlaying the estimated trace of the vehicle to the photographed front/rear view images of the vehicle, wherein the estimated trace of the vehicle includes a first estimated trace of the vehicle based on a rear wheel of the vehicle and a second estimated trace of the vehicle based on a front wheel of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assisting parking, the apparatus characterized by:

an image sensor photographing front/rear view images of a vehicle; and

an estimated trace of vehicle generation and process unit generating an estimated trace of the vehicle to a parking target area using steering angle information of the vehicle, and overlaying the estimated trace of the vehicle to the photographed front/rear view images of the vehicle, wherein the estimated trace of the vehicle includes a first estimated trace of the vehicle based on a rear wheel of the vehicle and a second estimated trace of the vehicle based on a front wheel of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further characterized by a display unit simultaneously displaying the overlaid front/rear view images of the vehicle and the estimated trace of the vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the first and second estimated trace of the vehicle are updated in real time in response to a steering angle of the vehicle.

4. A method for assisting parking, the method characterized by:

obtaining a front view image or a rear view image of a vehicle;

generating an estimated trace of the vehicle in response to steering angle information of the vehicle;

overlaying the estimated trace of the vehicle to the obtained front view image or a rear view images of the vehicle; and

simultaneously displaying the overlaid front/rear view images of the vehicle and the estimated trace of the vehicle, wherein the estimated trace of the vehicle includes a first estimated trace of the vehicle based on a rear wheel of the vehicle and a second estimated trace of the vehicle based on a front wheel of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, characterized in that the first and second estimated trace of the vehicle are updated in real time in response to a steering angle of the vehicle.