VIRTUAL SEE-THROUGH INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WITH LIVE VIDEO

• US 20150245017A1
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Di Censo, Davide, Marti, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,756,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2031/0025 Detecting position of target vehicle, e.g. vehicle driving ahead from host vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1531 Three-dimensional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/211 producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/31 providing stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/107 using stereoscopic cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/202 displaying a blind spot scene on the vehicle part responsible for the blind spot
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/307 virtually distinguishing relevant parts of a scene from the background of the scene
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/605 the adjustment being automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 : using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/327 : Calibration thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 : using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 : for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes

Abstract

At least one embodiment disclosed herein includes generating a three-dimensional graphical output that includes a three-dimensional representation of a video of an area external to a vehicle, and displaying the three-dimensional graphical output on a three-dimensional display disposed within a vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for displaying live video in a vehicle, comprising:

capturing a video of an area external to a vehicle based on a gaze of a driver of the vehicle; and

causing a representation of the video to be displayed on a three-dimensional display disposed within the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the area external to the vehicle is obstructed from view of the driver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the video comprises:

detecting the gaze of the driver; and

causing a camera capturing the video to match the gaze of the driver.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining that the gaze of the driver has changed; and

capturing subsequent frames of video to match the changed gaze of the driver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a three-dimensional representation of a vehicle instrument cluster that includes a plurality of instruments;

outputting the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle instrument cluster at a first depth level; and

outputting the representation of the video at a second depth level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a distance between an object in displayed in the representation of the video and the driver is based on a distance between the object and the vehicle.

7. A computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to display live video in a vehicle, by performing the steps of:

detecting a viewing angle of a driver of the vehicle;

capturing a video of an area external to a vehicle based on the viewing angle; and

causing the video to be displayed on a display disposed within the vehicle.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting a change in the viewing angle of the driver; and

adjusting a camera capturing the video to match the changed viewing angle of the driver.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising:

prior to adjusting the camera, determining that an amplitude of the change in the viewing angle exceeds a specified threshold.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the video is outputted as a three-dimensional video.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the viewing angle of the driver is based on an orientation of a head of the driver.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein a distance between the video and the driver is based on a set of driver preferences.

13. A system to display live video in a vehicle, comprising:

one or more computer processors;

at least one camera configured to capture a video of an area external to a vehicle based on a gaze of a driver of the vehicle; and

a display configured to output a representation of the video.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the display comprises a stereoscopic, parallax-enabled three-dimensional display.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one camera comprises at least one of two robotic pan-tilt-shift cameras mounted on a front bumper of the vehicle, and an array of a plurality of fixed cameras mounted on the front bumper of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one camera comprises the two robotic pan-tilt-shift cameras, wherein the one or more computer processors are configured to:

detecting the gaze of the driver; and

adjusting each camera in the set of cameras to capture the video to match the gaze of the driver.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of cameras comprises the array of fixed cameras, wherein the one or more computer processors are configured to:

detecting the gaze of the driver; and

adjusting a capture of the array of fixed cameras to capture the video to match the gaze of the driver.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein adjusting the capture of the array of fixed cameras comprises at least one of selecting two of the plurality of fixed cameras, and using a subset of an image data captured by two of the plurality of fixed cameras to create a composite view of the two of the plurality of fixed cameras.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a set of driver-facing sensors configured to detect the gaze of the driver.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more computer processors are configured to:

determine that the gaze of the driver has changed; and

modify the at least one camera to capture video based on the changed gaze of the driver.