Vehicle Display

• US 20180139384A1
• Filed: 11/17/2016
• Published: 05/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Li, Zheng, Kuehnle, Andreas U.
• Granted Patent: US 10,594,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/148 Semi-trailers, articulated vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A controller for synthesizing images for a vehicle display comprises a first image generator for generating a bird'"'"'s eye image from a first set of cameras, the bird'"'"'s eye image depicting the surroundings of a host vehicle and having a generally central portion. The controller includes a second image generator for generating a second image separate from the bird'"'"'s eye image. The controller includes a synthesizer for synthesizing the bird'"'"'s eye image and the second image for displaying the second image within the generally central portion of the bird'"'"'s eye image.

Claims

1. A controller for synthesizing images for a display comprising:

a first image generator for generating a bird'"'"'s eye image from a first set of cameras, the bird'"'"'s eye image depicting the surroundings of a host vehicle and having a generally central portion;

a second image generator for generating a second image separate from the bird'"'"'s eye image; and

a synthesizer for synthesizing the bird'"'"'s eye image and the second image for displaying the second image within the generally central portion of the bird'"'"'s eye image.

2. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the generally central portion is placed at the location of the body of the host vehicle with respect to the views of the first set of cameras.

3. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the generally central portion has two segments, wherein a first segment approximates the location of a tractor of the host vehicle and a second segment approximates the location of a trailer of the host vehicle with respect to the first set of cameras.

4. The controller as in claim 3, wherein the first segment changes position on the display in response to articulation of the tractor from the trailer.

5. The controller as in claim 3, wherein the second image is displayed in the second segment of the generally central portion.

6. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the second image comprises a view from a camera, separate from the first set of cameras, having one of a driver facing camera view;

an undercarriage camera view, a back-up camera view and a forward camera view.

7. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the second image comprises at least one of an informational display and a diagnostic display.

8. The controller as in claim 1, further comprising an operator input device, the operator input device controllable to change the second image.

9. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the second image is displayed entirely within the generally central portion of the bird'"'"'s eye image.

10. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the generally central portion of the bird'"'"'s eye image is displayed as a negative space by the second image generator.

11. The controller as in claim 1, wherein the controller is in communication with a display screen and the synthesizer transforms the display screen to display a unified image in response to synthesizing the bird'"'"'s eye image and the second image.

12. A method for synthesizing an image comprising:

receiving a bird'"'"'s eye view of a surrounding of a vehicle from a first set of cameras;

synthesizing the bird'"'"'s eye view to create a bird'"'"'s eye image having a generally central portion;

receiving a second view separate from the bird'"'"'s eye view;

synthesizing the second view to create a second image; and

displaying the second image within the generally central portion of the bird'"'"'s eye image.

13. The method as in claim 12, further comprising recording the synthesized bird'"'"'s eye image and second image.

14. The method as in claim 12, further comprising manually changing the second view from one of an informational view, a back-up camera view, a driver facing camera view, a forward view.

15. The method as in claim 12, further comprising transforming a display screen to display the bird'"'"'s eye view and the second image as a unified image.

16. A system for synthesizing and displaying an image comprising:

a first set of cameras for capturing a bird'"'"'s eye view of a surrounding of a vehicle;

a controller, the controller capable of;

synthesizing the bird'"'"'s eye view to create a bird'"'"'s eye image having a generally central portion; and

synthesizing a second image, wherein the second image is placed in the generally central portion of the bird'"'"'s eye image to create a unified image; and

a display for displaying the unified image.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein the second image is synthesized from another controller on the vehicle.

18. The system as in claim 16, wherein the second image is synthesized from a second view received from a camera separate from the first set of cameras.