Method and apparatus for acquiring and displaying images

• US 6,975,347 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2000
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Strumolo, Gary Steven, Miller, Ronald Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Application Number:
  US09/620,044
• Time in Patent Office: 1,972 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 359/629, 359/630, 359/632, 340/461, 340/468, 348/115, 348/118, 348/148, 701/36
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/30 providing vision in the non-visible spectrum, e.g. night or infrared vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/106 using night vision cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8053 for bad weather conditions or night vision

Abstract

An image acquisition and display assembly 12 for use upon a vehicle 10 and which includes a pair of substantially identical cameras 14, 16 which are adapted to receive images of objects 50, 52 or portions of the vehicular ambient environment 27 located in the front of and/or along the sides 24, 26 of the vehicle 10 and of objects 28, 30 or portions of the vehicular ambient environment 27 located in the rear and/or along the sides of the vehicle 10. The assembly 12 may include a pair of movable mirror assemblies 34, 36 which selectively and respectively communicate with cameras 14, 16, thereby allowing the cameras 14, 16 to receive the desired and previously delineated images.

Claims

1. An image display system for use with a vehicle comprising:

a camera mounted to an outer portion of the vehicle wherein said camera is positioned to selectively capture an image of a first region of an environment outside the vehicle;

a retractable mirror operatively mounted to an outer portion of the vehicle wherein said mirror is linearly movable between a retracted position out of an image capture view of said camera and an extended position within an image capture view of said camera and said mirror reflects an image from a second region of the environment outside the vehicle that is selectively captured by said camera only in the extended position and the second region image is opposite the first region image; and

a display device operatively coupled to said camera to display the captured image to a driver of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said camera includes a night vision image capture means.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said display device comprises a heads up type display.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a switching means for selectively extending and retracting said retractable mirror.

4. A vehicular image acquisition and display system for a vehicle, said system comprising:

a first camera mounted upon a first side of the vehicle which captures and transmits images of a first region of an environment outside the vehicle;

a second camera mounted upon a second side of the vehicle which captures and transmits images of a first region of an environment outside the vehicle;

a first retractable mirror operatively mounted to an outer portion of the vehicle wherein said first retractable mirror is linearly movable between a retracted position out of an image capture view of said first camera and an extended position within the image capture view of said first camera and said first retractable mirror transmits an image of a second region of the environment outside the vehicle that is selectively captured by said first camera only in said extended position and the second region image is opposite the first region image;

a second retractable mirror operatively mounted to an outer portion of the vehicle wherein said second retractable mirror is linearly movable between a retracted position out of an image capture view of said second camera and an extended position within the image capture view of said second camera and said second retractable mirror transmits an image of a second region of the environment outside the vehicle that is selectively captured by said second camera only in said extended position and the second region image is opposite the first region image; and

a display device operatively in communication with said first and second cameras and which selectively displays captured images from said first and second cameras to a driver of the vehicle.

5. The vehicular image acquisition and display system of claim 4 wherein said first camera or said second camera is directed to capture an image of a first region of the environment which is rearward of the vehicle when said first mirror or said second mirror respectively are retracted.

6. The vehicular image acquisition and display system of claim 4 wherein said first mirror or said second mirror is selectively extendable to transmit an image of a second region of the environment which is forward of the vehicle to said first camera or said second camera respectively when in said extended position.

7. The vehicular image acquisition and display system of claim 4 wherein said display device is a heads up type display.

8. The vehicular image acquisition and display system of claim 7 wherein said first and second cameras each include a night vision image capture means.

14. The system of claim 4 further comprising a switching means for selectively extending and retracting either one of said first retractable mirror or said second retractable mirror.

9. A method of acquiring and displaying images for a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning a camera upon an outer portion of the vehicle so that the camera captures an image of a first region of an environment outside the vehicle;

positioning a retractable mirror upon an outer portion of the vehicle, wherein the mirror traverses linearly between a retracted position out of view of the camera and an extended position in the view of the camera;

using the camera to capture images from a first region of the environment outside the vehicle with the mirror retracted;

extending the mirror in front of the camera to reflect images from a second region of the environment outside the vehicle for capture by the camera; and

transmitting the captured image to a display device mounted inside the vehicle and displaying the captured image on the display device to a driver of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of positioning a camera comprises the step of rotatably mounting the camera upon the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said display device is a heads up type display.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the first region is an environment rearward of the camera position, and the second region is an environment forward of the camera position.