Automobile infrared night vision device and automobile display

• US 7,130,486 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2003
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Seekircher, Juergen, Eggers, Helmuth, Wohlgemuth, Thomas, Kurz, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Application Number:
  US10/352,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20030142850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 382/274, 382/264, 382/266, 382/279, 382/293, 382/299, 701/45, 701/28
• US Class Current: 382/274
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

The invention concerns an automobile display unit, an automobile infrared night vision device and an automobile with such a display unit or, as the case may be, with such an infrared night vision device. The display includes an image processing unit which processes the image data supplied to it such that contiguous areas of maximal light intensity are recognized and these image data are adapted to the extent that they are at least partially replaced by image data with reduced light intensity values. These changed image data are supplied to the display, which reproduces these image data. This display unit makes possible a reduction or a prevention of blinding by brilliant light, which is particularly disturbing in a case of display of infrared night vision image information.

Claims

1. An automobile display unit for representation of image data of a night vision device comprising:

an image processing unit, to which image data is supplied, and which is adapted for processing the image data supplied to at such that,

contiguous areas of image data are determined, of which the image points exhibit a greater lightness than a predetermined lightness threshold value,

the image data of the image points of these contiguous areas are replaced by image data, which exhibit at least a partially reduced light intensity value;

a display for representation of the image data supplied by the image processing unit; and

a control unit for controlling the display unit,

wherein the image processing unit includes a unit for determining a central area and an edge area of the contiguous areas and is adapted for assigning the image points of the central area image data with reduced lightness, in comparison to which the image points of the edge area of the image data are assigned light intensity values which are different therefrom.

2. An automobile display unit according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit is adapted to assign the image points of the central area of the image data with reduced lightness, in comparison to which the image points of the edge area of the image data are assigned unchanged light intensity valves.

3. An automobile display unit according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit is adapted to assign the image points of the central area image data with reduced light intensity, in comparison to which the image points of the edge area of the image data are assigned lesser reduced light intensity values compared to the central area.

4. An automobile display unit according to claim 3, wherein the image processing unit is adapted to assign to the image points of the central area image data with reduced light intensity, in comparison to which the image points of the edge area are assigned image data, which approach the light intensity values of the central area as their proximity to the central area increases.

5. An automobile display unit according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit is provided upstream with a compression stage for reduction of the light intensity range, which is adapted to compress the light intensity values to a light intensity interval between H_max and H_min.

6. An automobile display unit according to claim 5, wherein the H_max value is selected as the predetermined light intensity threshold value for determining the contiguous areas.

7. An automobile night vision device comprising:

(a) a camera which has a logarithmic light recognition curve;

(b) an image processing unit for processing image data supplied to it by said camera, and which is adapted for processing the image data supplied to it such that

contiguous areas of image data are determined, of which the image points exhibit a greater lightness than a predetermined lightness threshold value,

the image data of the image points of these contiguous areas are replaced by image data, which exhibit at least a partially reduced light intensity value;

(c) a display for representation of the image data supplied by the image processing unit; and

(d) a control unit for controlling the display unit, wherein the image processing unit includes a unit for determining a central area and an edge area of the contiguous areas and is adapted for assigning the image points of the central area image data with reduced lightness, in comparison to which the image points of the edge area of the image data are assigned light intensity values which are different therefrom.

8. An automobile night vision device according to claim 7, wherein said camera is an IR-camera.

9. A vehicle equipped with an automobile night vision device comprising:

(a) a camera which has a logarithmic light recognition curve;

(b) an image processing unit for processing image data supplied to it by said camera, and which is adapted for processing the image data supplied to it such that

contiguous areas of image data are determined, of which the image points exhibit a greater lightness than a predetermined lightness threshold value,

the image data of the image points of these contiguous areas are replaced by image data, which exhibit at least a partially reduced light intensity value;

(c) a display for representation of the image data supplied by the image processing unit; and

(d) a control unit for controlling the display unit, wherein the image processing unit includes a unit for determining a central area and an edge area of the contiguous areas and is adapted for assigning the image points of the central area image data with reduced lightness, in comparison to which the image points of the edge area of the image data are assigned light intensity values which are different therefrom.