FOCUS SYSTEM TO ENHANCE VEHICLE VISION PERFORMANCE

• US 20170046578A1
• Filed: 08/13/2015
• Published: 02/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Phillips, Anthony Mark
• Granted Patent: US 10,713,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0129 comprising devices for correcting parallax
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/958 for extended depth of field imaging

Abstract

A vehicle includes an interface that displays an image of objects in a vicinity of the vehicle, and a controller that alters a depth of field of the image based on a focal point associated with a direction of driver eye gaze relative to the image to alter blurriness of the image away from the focal point.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

an interface configured to display an image of objects in a vicinity of the vehicle; and

at least one controller programmed to alter a depth of field of the image based on a focal point associated with a direction of driver eye gaze relative to the image to alter blurriness of the image away from the focal point.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to, in response to a driver eye gaze away from the image, maximize a depth of field of the image, and in response to the driver eye gaze being directed at a particular portion of the image for a predetermined period of time, identify the focal point associated with a physical location represented by the image at the particular portion and decrease the depth of field of the image based on a distance between the vehicle and the physical location.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to alter the depth of field by adjusting a size of an aperture of a camera used to capture the image.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to alter the depth of field by adjusting a parallax used to blend images of at least two cameras used to capture the image.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to adjust a size of an aperture of each of the at least two cameras used to capture the image.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to identify pedestrians in the vicinity, and in response to identification of a pedestrian in the vicinity intersecting a current travel path of the vehicle, output an alert signal.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to identify a vehicle in the vicinity and a trajectory of the vehicle, and in response to a trajectory of the vehicle in the vicinity intersecting a current travel path of the vehicle, output an alert signal.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the interface is an instrument cluster, an infotainment system, or a heads up display.

9. A method of enhancing a digital image in a vehicle comprising:

identifying a focal point on a display screen associated with a gaze of a driver at an image; and

altering a depth of field associated with the image based on a distance between the vehicle and a physical location of an object represented by the image at the focal point to blur other objects in the image away from the focal point.

10. The method of claim 9 further including, in response to a driver eye gaze away from the image, maximizing a depth of field of the image, and in response to a driver eye gaze being directed at a particular portion of the image for a predetermined period of time, locating a focal point associated with a physical location represented by the image at the particular portion and decreasing the depth of field of the image based on a distance between the vehicle and the physical location associated with the particular portion of the image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein altering the depth of field includes adjusting a size of an aperture of a camera used to capture the image.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein altering the depth of field includes adjusting a parallax used to blend images of at least two cameras used to capture the image.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein altering the depth of field includes adjusting a size of an aperture of each of the at least two cameras used to capture the image.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising outputting an alert based on a classification of an object at the focal point as a pedestrian.

15. A vehicle comprising:

a camera having an aperture and configured to output a signal indicative of a field of view;

a display configured to convert the signal to an image;

a driver camera assembly configured to output a focal point associated with a gaze of a driver relative to the display; and

at least one controller programmed to adjust a size of the aperture to alter a depth of field to blur objects outside of the depth of field around the focal point.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to, in response to the gaze being away from the image, maximize the depth of field, and in response to the gaze being directed at a particular portion of the image for a predetermined period of time, identify the focal point associated with a physical location represented by the image at the particular portion and decrease the depth of field based on a distance between the vehicle and the physical location.

17. The vehicle of claim 16 further including a second camera having a second aperture and configured to output a second signal indicative of the field of view, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to alter the depth of field by adjusting a parallax used to blend the signal and the second signal.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the at least one controller is further programmed to identify pedestrians in the field of view, and in response to identification of a pedestrian intersecting a current travel path of the vehicle, output an alert signal.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the display is in an instrument cluster, an infotainment system, or a heads up display system.