Visual System

• US 20150085125A1
• Filed: 09/23/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: LANG, Werner Jrgen
• Granted Patent: US 9,428,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/005 using a video camera
• 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 1/002 specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle, e.g. for viewing tyres, bumpers or the like integrated in the windows B60R1/001; combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/108 using 'non-standard' camera systems, e.g. camera sensor used for additional purposes i.a. rain sensor, camera sensor split in multiple image areas
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

A visual system (50) for a vehicle, comprising a capturing unit on the vehicle, the capturing unit provided with at least a capturing device (52), a calculation unit (58), and a display unit (60), wherein the capturing device (52) is adapted to acquire a capturing region (21, 22, 23) behind the vehicle (10), the capturing region including a substantially undistorted, backward-directed capturing region (21) behind the vehicle and a substantially downward-directed capturing portion (22) behind the vehicle, and wherein the visual system (50) is adapted to extract from the capturing portion (21, 22, 23) a first image (62), which corresponds to the undistorted capturing portion (21), and a second image (63), which corresponds to the downward-directed capturing portion, and to display the first image (61) in an upper image portion (64) and the second image (62) in a lower image portion (66) of the display unit (60).

Claims

1. A visual system for a vehicle, comprising:

a capturing unit mounted to the vehicle and provided with at least one capturing device,

a calculation unit; and

a display unit;

wherein the capturing device is adapted to acquire a capturing region behind the vehicle, said region including at least one substantially undistorted capturing portion behind the vehicle, which portion is directed backward, and one capturing portion behind the vehicle, which portion is substantially directed downward,

wherein the visual system is adapted to extract a first image from the first capturing portion, which image corresponds to the undistorted capturing portion, and a second image, which corresponds to the capturing portion that is directed downward, and to display the first image in an upper image portion and the second image in a lower portion on the display unit, and

wherein the visual system adapts the size of the first and second extracted images dependent of the driving direction and/or the driving speed.

2. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the undistorted capturing portion, which is directed backward, corresponds to a horizontal view.

3. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the capturing device comprises a lens.

4. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the capturing device comprises an aspherical lens.

5. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the capturing device is a single camera.

6. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the undistorted portion, which is directed backward, substantially corresponds to the image on an inside rear view mirror of the vehicle.

7. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is arranged inside the vehicle in the area of a conventional inside rear view mirror.

8. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit extracts the first and second images from the capturing portion.

9. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the visual system dynamically adapts the size of the displayed upper and lower image portions on the display unit dependent on the driving situation.

10. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle is driving in reverse direction, the lower image portion is larger than in a case when the vehicle is driving in forward direction and, when the vehicle is driving in a forward direction, the upper image portion is correspondingly larger than it is in a case when the vehicle is driving in reverse direction.

11. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the capturing portion that is directed downward shows a stronger distortion than the capturing portion that is directed backward.

12. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the first image and the second image are sub-portions of the capturing portion, which sub-portions do not merge.

13. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the first image in the upper image portion and the second image in the lower image portion, separate from each other.

14. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the first image in the upper image portion, the second image in the lower image portion, and a third image in a central image portion, wherein the third image corresponds to a transitional capturing portion that is located between and adjacent to the backward-directed capturing portion and the downward-directed capturing portion.

15. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the backward-directed capturing portion is directly adjacent to the downward-directed capturing portion.

16. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the downward-directed capturing portion contains a relation to the vehicle, preferably a rear edge of the vehicle or a bumper.