VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM WITH OVERLAY CALIBRATION

• US 20160311374A1
• Filed: 04/21/2016
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: May, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 10,946,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/306 using a re-scaling of images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8086 for vehicle path indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

A vision system of a vehicle includes a camera disposed at the vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The camera includes an imager and a processor that is operable to process image data captured by the imager. A video display screen is operable to display video images derived from image data captured by the camera. The processor generates a graphic overlay for display with the video images at the video display screen. The processor calibrates the graphic overlay by adapting the view orientation and position of the displayed video images utilizing a spatial transform engine to adapt the view orientation and position to a corrected position and orientation.

Claims

1. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises an imager having a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

wherein said camera comprises a processor operable to process image data captured by said imager;

a video display screen operable to display video images derived from image data captured by said imager;

wherein said processor generates a graphic overlay for display with the video images at said video display screen; and

wherein said processor calibrates the graphic overlay by adapting the view orientation and position of the displayed video images utilizing a spatial transform engine to adapt the view orientation and position to a corrected position and orientation.

2. The vision system of claim 1, wherein the processor calibrates the imager data by turning and distorting image data so that a horizon line is generally horizontal.

3. The vision system of claim 2, wherein the displayed video images are turned and distorted into the corrected position and orientation with the horizon line displayed as generally horizontal.

4. The vision system of claim 3, wherein, with the view orientation and position adapted to the corrected position and orientation, the graphic overlay matches the displayed images without need of changing graphic overlays.

5. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said camera comprises a rearward viewing camera disposed at a rear portion of the vehicle.

6. The vision system of claim 5, wherein the graphic overlay comprises a projected path of travel of the vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle when said video display screen is displaying video images captured by said rearward viewing camera.

7. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said processor runs the calibration within a companion chip under use of the frames of captured image data it receives from said imager.

8. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said processor uses a grid based optical model.

9. The vision system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle receives a standard spatial transform engine map at the end of line of the assembly line.

10. The vision system of claim 9, wherein the system adapts the spatial transform engine map over a runtime at or after the end of line.

11. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a rearward viewing camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle and having a field of view exterior and rearward of the vehicle;

wherein said rearward viewing camera comprises an imager having a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

wherein said rearward viewing camera comprises a companion chip having a processor operable to process image data captured by said imager;

wherein said processor runs the calibration with use of the frames of captured image data it receives from said imager;

a video display screen operable to display video images derived from image data captured by said imager;

wherein said processor generates a graphic overlay for display with the video images at said video display screen;

wherein the graphic overlay comprises a projected path of travel of the vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle when said video display screen is displaying video images captured by said rearward viewing camera; and

wherein said processor calibrates the graphic overlay by adapting the view orientation and position of the displayed video images utilizing a spatial transform engine to adapt the view orientation and position to a corrected position and orientation.

12. The vision system of claim 11, wherein the processor calibrates the imager data by turning and distorting image data so that a horizon line is generally horizontal.

13. The vision system of claim 12, wherein the displayed video images are turned and distorted into the corrected position and orientation with the horizon line displayed as generally horizontal.

14. The vision system of claim 13, wherein, with the view orientation and position adapted to the corrected position and orientation, the graphic overlay matches the displayed images without need of changing graphic overlays.

15. The vision system of claim 11, wherein said processor uses a grid based optical model.

16. The vision system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle receives a standard spatial transform engine map at the end of line of the assembly line.

17. The vision system of claim 16, wherein the system adapts the spatial transform engine map over a runtime at or after the end of line.

18. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a rearward viewing camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle and having a field of view exterior and rearward of the vehicle;

wherein said rearward viewing camera comprises an imager having a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

wherein said rearward viewing camera comprises a processor operable to process image data captured by said imager;

a video display screen operable to display video images derived from image data captured by said imager;

wherein said processor generates a graphic overlay for display with the video images at said video display screen;

wherein the graphic overlay comprises a projected path of travel of the vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle when said video display screen is displaying video images captured by said rearward viewing camera;

wherein said processor calibrates the graphic overlay by adapting the view orientation and position of the displayed video images utilizing a spatial transform engine to adapt the view orientation and position to a corrected position and orientation; and

wherein, with the view orientation and position adapted to the corrected position and orientation, the graphic overlay matches the displayed images without need of changing graphic overlays.

19. The vision system of claim 18, wherein the processor calibrates the imager data by turning and distorting image data so that a horizon line is generally horizontal, and wherein the displayed video images are turned and distorted into the corrected position and orientation with the horizon line displayed as generally horizontal.

20. The vision system of claim 18, wherein the vehicle receives a standard spatial transform engine map at the end of line of the assembly line, and wherein the system adapts the spatial transform engine map over a runtime at or after the end of line.