Device for monitoring the environment of a vehicle being parked

• US 6,919,917 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2000
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Janssen, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/857,240
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N00.9/47, H04/N00.5/30, 348/143, 348/148, 348/149, 348/156, 348/157, 348/159, 348/162
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/005 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/007 providing information about the distance to an obstacle, e.g. varying sound
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking

Abstract

A device for monitoring the environment of a vehicle being parked, which is used for reliably detecting objects in the way, and which makes it possible to calculate parking maneuvers. The device includes at least one video camera having laterally arranged object-detection sensors, which cover areas that are not recorded by the video camera. In this manner, the driver can be supplied in a simple manner with warnings, even though a putative obstacle is not detectable in the video image.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring the environment of a vehicle being parked, comprising:

at least one video camera, the at least one camera having a vision field the vision field being fixed relative to the vehicle;

at least one display unit, one of the at least one display unit being a video display unit for representing the vision field; and

at least one object-detection sensor for detecting objects in an area outside of and directly adjacent to the vision field;

wherein a driver of the vehicle is informed via the at least one display unit of an existence of the objects located outside of the vision field of the at least one video camera detected by the at least one object-detection sensor.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the existence of the objects outside of the vision field are represented in edge areas of the video display unit.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

an object-detection unit; and

an image processing unit;

wherein the at least one object-detection sensor is coupled to the object-detection unit, the object-detection unit being coupled to the image processing unit for selected digital image processing of video images from the at least one video camera, objects in the vision field of the at least one video camera being automatically detected and communicated to the driver.

4. The device as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

a downstream superimposition unit;

wherein objects detected by the object-detection unit are modeled using simple geometric forms, and the geometric forms are superimposed on a video image using the downstream superimposition unit.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a maneuver calculating unit, the maneuver calculating unit processing external parameters including an instantaneous steering angle;

wherein an actual-steering-angle display can be carried out in the video display unit by applying calculations made in the maneuver calculating unit.

6. The device as recited in claim 5, the object-detection unit supplies the maneuver calculating unit with data concerning detected objects and the maneuver calculating unit calculates a parking maneuver on the basis of the supplied data.

7. The device as recited in claim 6, wherein the parking maneuver is represented in the video display unit in the form of a steering angle suggestion.

8. The device as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

a control unit, the control unit being coupled to the maneuver calculating unit, the control unit automatically executing the parking maneuver.

9. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the maneuver calculating unit includes a storage unit for storing standard parking maneuvers including parking in a private garage, a standard parking maneuver being accessible for automatically executing the parking maneuver when the corresponding environment is detected by the object-detection unit.

10. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one object-detection sensor is one of an ultrasound sensor, a radar sensor, and a lidar sensor.

11. The device as recited in claim 3, wherein distances to detected objects are calculated using the object-detection unit, numerical values of the distances being overlaid in the video display unit.