CALIBRATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VEHICULAR SURROUND VISION SYSTEM

• US 20140320658A1
• Filed: 11/14/2012
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pliefke, Sebastian
• Granted Patent: US 9,491,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/402 Image calibration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/80 Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras

Abstract

A camera calibration system for calibrating cameras of a vehicle includes at least one reconfigurable calibration target established or disposed at a ground area at which a vehicle is positioned for a camera calibrating procedure. The camera calibration system is operable, responsive to an input indicative of a type or size of the vehicle positioned at the ground area, to reconfigure the at least one reconfigurable calibration target to adapt the calibration target for the particular type or size of the vehicle positioned thereat. The camera calibration system may reconfigure at least one of a size of the target and a location of the target. The camera calibration system may reconfigure the target via a covering element that selectively exposes a portion of the reconfigurable calibration target and covers another portion of the reconfigurable calibration target.

Claims

1. :

A camera calibration system for calibrating at least one camera of a vehicle, said camera calibration system comprising;

at least one reconfigurable calibration target established at a ground area at or proximate where a vehicle is positioned for a camera calibrating procedure;

wherein said camera calibration system is operable, responsive to an input indicative of a type or size of the vehicle positioned at the ground area, to reconfigure said reconfigurable calibration target to adapt said reconfigurable calibration target for that particular type or size of vehicle positioned thereat; and

wherein, with the vehicle positioned for the camera calibrating procedure and with said reconfigurable calibration target adapted for that particular type or size of vehicle, at least one camera of the vehicle has a field of view that at least partially encompasses said at least one adapted reconfigurable calibration target.

2. :

The camera calibration system of claim 1, wherein said at least one reconfigurable calibration target comprises a plurality of reconfigurable calibration targets.

3. :

The camera calibration system of claim 2, wherein at least some of said reconfigurable calibration targets are established at side regions of the vehicle positioned at the ground area.

4. :

The camera calibration system of claim 2, wherein said reconfigurable calibration targets comprise checkerboard type targets disposed at forward, rearward and sideward regions of the vehicle positioned at the ground area.

5. :

The camera calibration system of claim 2, wherein at least one of said reconfigurable calibration targets comprises a larger reconfigurable calibration target as compared to at least one other of said reconfigurable calibration target.

6. :

The camera calibration system of claim 5, wherein said one of said reconfigurable calibration targets comprises a forward or rearward one of said reconfigurable calibration targets.

7. :

The camera calibration system of claim 1, wherein said camera calibration system is operable to reconfigure at least one of a size of said at least one reconfigurable calibration target and a location of at least one of said at least one reconfigurable calibration target.

8. :

The camera calibration system of claim 7, wherein said camera calibration system reconfigures said at least one reconfigurable calibration target via a covering element that selectively exposes a portion of said at least one reconfigurable calibration target and covers another portion of said at least one reconfigurable calibration target.

9. :

The camera calibration system of claim 8, wherein said covering element comprises a linearly movable covering element that is movable along and over said one of said reconfigurable calibration target.

10. :

The camera calibration system of claim 8, wherein said adjustable covering element comprises a pivotable covering element that is pivotable about a hinge element between first and second covering positions.

11. :

The camera calibration system of claim 1, wherein said at least one reconfigurable calibration target comprises at least one reconfigurable display.

12. :

The camera calibration system of claim 11, wherein said camera calibration system is operable to adjust at least one of a size of said at least one reconfigurable display and a location of said at least one reconfigurable display by electronically generating an appropriate target display responsive to said input.

13. :

The camera calibration system of claim 12, wherein said at least one reconfigurable display comprises a plurality of reconfigurable displays.

14. :

The camera calibration system of claim 13, wherein said camera calibration system electronically generates a reconfigurable display at least some of the forward, rearward and sideward regions of the vehicle positioned at the ground area.

15. :

A camera calibration method for calibrating at least one camera of a vehicle, said camera calibration method comprising;

providing a vehicle, said vehicle having a forward camera, a rearward camera and opposite side cameras;

generating a target at an overlapping portion of the fields of view of two of said cameras by use of light projection;

capturing image data captured by said cameras that is representative of the target at the overlapping portion;

processing image data captured by said cameras to detect the target in the overlapping portion of the fields of view of said cameras; and

calibrating at least one of said cameras responsive to detection of the target.

16. :

The camera calibration method of claim 15, wherein generating a target and capturing images steps are repeated to collect multiple captured images, and wherein processing image data comprises processing image data of said multiple captured images to detect the target in multiple captured images.

17. :

The camera calibration method of claim 15, wherein generating a target comprises generating a laser target via a laser device.

18. :

The camera calibration method of claim 17, wherein said laser device is operable to emit a laser target that comprises at least a pair of intersecting laser lines.

19. :

The camera calibration method of claim 18, wherein said intersecting laser lines extend from a center region of the field of view of a respective camera into and overlapping portion of the fields of view of the respective camera and another of said cameras.

20. :

A camera calibration system for calibrating at least one camera of a vehicle, said camera calibration system comprising;

a plurality of calibration targets established at a ground area at or proximate where a vehicle is positioned for a camera calibrating procedure;

wherein said calibration targets are disposed at forward, rearward and sideward regions of the vehicle positioned at the ground area;

wherein said camera calibration system is operable, responsive to an input indicative of a type or size of the vehicle positioned at the ground area, to reconfigure at least one of said calibration targets to adapt said at least one of said calibration targets for that particular type or size of vehicle positioned thereat;

wherein said camera calibration system is operable to reconfigure at least one of a size of said at least one of said calibration targets and a location of said at least one of said calibration targets; and

wherein, with the vehicle positioned for the camera calibrating procedure and with said at least one of said calibration targets reconfigured for that particular type or size of vehicle, at least a forward viewing camera, a rearward viewing camera and sideward viewing cameras of the vehicle have respective fields of view that at least partially encompass respective ones of said calibration targets.