WADING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20140293056A1
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Popham, Thomas, Dunoyer, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 9,975,499 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 1/25 to the sides of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/004 outside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/42 Amphibious vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/3015 Optical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/292 Light , e.g. infrared or ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2962 Measuring transit time of reflected waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/80 Arrangements for signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes imaging apparatus comprising at least one camera. The apparatus is operable to provide a wade image to an occupant of the vehicle being an image of at least a portion of an exterior surface of the vehicle that is exposed to liquid when wading. The wade image is arranged to allow the occupant to determine whether the level of the liquid is below a prescribed level. Embodiments of the invention are advantageous over known wade aid devices such as ultrasonic sensor arrangements in that a driver is able to view directly a level of liquid such as water in which the vehicle is wading. Furthermore embodiments of the invention have a reduced settling time when switched on compared with ultrasonic sensor arrangements.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle having an imaging apparatus comprising at least one camera, the apparatus being configured to provide a wade image to an occupant of the vehicle being an image of at least a portion of an exterior surface of the vehicle that is exposed to liquid when wading, the wade image being arranged to allow the occupant to determine whether the level of the liquid is below a prescribed level.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to adjust a position of the camera thereby to provide the wade image of the at least a portion of the exterior of the vehicle to the occupant.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 2 wherein the imaging apparatus is configured automatically to reposition the camera to provide the wade image.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the imaging apparatus is arranged to provide a wade image of one or more sides of the vehicle.

7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vehicle is arranged to determine that the vehicle is wading responsive to at least one selected from amongst a driver-selectable input, reference to the wade image, one or more moisture sensors and reference to an output of distance sensing means and wherein the imaging apparatus is arranged automatically to provide the wade image when it is determined that the vehicle is wading.

9. A vehicle as claimed in claim 7 comprising the distance sensing means, the vehicle being configured to determine that the vehicle is wading responsive to an output of the distance sensing means.

10. A vehicle as claimed in claim 7 comprising the distance sensing means, the vehicle being configured to determine that the vehicle is wading responsive to an output of the distance sensing means in combination with the wade image.

11. A vehicle as claimed in claim 9 arranged to provide an output corresponding to a distance measured by the distance sensing means.

12. A vehicle as claimed in claim 11 wherein the output comprises at least one of a visual output and an audible output.

14. A vehicle as claimed in claim 9 wherein the distance sensing means comprises at least one selected from amongst one or more ultrasonic sensors and one or more optical sensors.

15. A vehicle as claimed in claim 9 configured to automatically provide the wade image to the user when the vehicle is wading.

16. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one camera is arranged obliquely to view at least a portion of the exterior surface of the vehicle, the imaging apparatus being arranged to rectify at least a portion of the image provided by the at least one camera thereby to reduce an amount of distortion therein relative to a view of the portion of the vehicle from a substantially normal incidence.

17. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wade image is arranged to include at least a portion of an exterior surface of the vehicle that includes a feature by means of which the occupant may determine whether the level of liquid is below the prescribed level.

18. A vehicle as claimed in claim 17 wherein the feature comprises an external component of the vehicle.

19. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 configured to superimpose a liquid level indicator marking on the wade image.

20. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the prescribed liquid level corresponds to a maximum authorized liquid level.

21. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 further configured to automatically activate illumination means for illuminating the portion of the vehicle viewed in the wade image when it is determined that the vehicle is wading.

22. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to automatically monitor the wade image and to compare one or more features of the wade image with reference data thereby to determine when one or more portions of the vehicle are obscured by water.

23. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to provide data to a vehicle occupant responsive to one or more wade images, the data being data in respect of one or more selected from amongst vehicle pitch angle, vehicle roll angle and estimated water depth.

24. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 configured to automatically determine when a vehicle is in danger of exceeding a prescribed wade depth and to provide to an occupant at least one selected from amongst an audible alarm, spoken or written driver advice and an animated representation of the vehicle responsive to the determination.

25. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one camera is movable from an initial state to a deployed state, wherein the distance between the at least one camera and an adjacent exterior surface of the vehicle increases when the camera is moved toward the deployed state.

26. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is mounted on a wing mirror unit of the vehicle.

5-6. -6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

27. A method of operating a vehicle comprising the step of providing to an occupant of the vehicle a wade image being an image of at least a portion of an exterior surface of the vehicle that is exposed to liquid when wading, the wade image being arranged to allow the occupant to determine whether the level of the liquid is below a prescribed level.

28. An apparatus for a motor vehicle comprising at least one camera, the apparatus being configured to provide a wade image to an occupant of the vehicle being an image of at least a portion of an exterior surface of the vehicle that is exposed to liquid when wading, the wade image being arranged to allow the occupant to determine whether the level of the liquid is below a prescribed level.

29. An apparatus for a motor vehicle the apparatus being configured to provide an image to an occupant of the vehicle of at least a portion of an exterior surface of the vehicle that is exposed to liquid when wading, the wade image being arranged to allow the occupant to determine whether the level of the liquid is below a prescribed level.

30. (canceled)