Vehicle pathway vision system having in-path delineation reticle

• US 7,423,665 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ray, Michael S., Taylor, Ronald M., Nohns, Dennis C.
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, SHAWN S
• Application Number:
  US10/734,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20050128289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 348/118, 348/113, 348/116, 348/115, 348/143, 348/148, 348/153, 348/158, 359/354, 362/466, 362/465
• US Class Current: 348/118
• 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 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/22 using a parallactic triangle with variable angles and a base of fixed length at, near, or formed by the object

Abstract

A vehicle vision system displays a vehicle pathway image that includes a reticle for visually identifying the in-path portion of the image. A reticle array is disposed between a video camera chip and a lens, and includes a conical or frustro-conical region of substantially un-attenuated light transmissivity surrounded by a region of perceptibly attenuated light transmissivity, such that in-path portions of the displayed image are substantially unchanged and out-of-path portions of the displayed image are perceptibly attenuated. The reticle array may also include a number of reduced transmissivity lines traversing its conical or frustro-conical region to produce a series of receding stadia lines in the in-path portion of the displayed image, enabling the driver to reliably discern the range of displayed objects.

Claims

1. Apparatus for displaying a video image of a scene in a travel path of a vehicle, comprising:

a video camera device and lens for imaging a field of view including said travel path, said field of view including out-of-path objects that are out of said travel path as well as in-path objects that are in said travel path;

a video display device for displaying the imaged field of view;

a reticle substrate disposed between said video camera device and said lens for visually delineating an in-path portion of said field of view in which said in-path objects are displayed with a first light transmissivity from an out-of-path portion of said field of view in which said out-of-path objects are displayed with a second light transmissivity perceptibly different from the first light transmissivity, wherein said reticle substrate is optically transparent; and

a reticle array formed on said reticle substrate such that the imaged and displayed field of view includes an image of said reticle array, said reticle being defined by such image of such reticle array, wherein said reticle array includes a conical or frustro-conical region of substantially un-attenuated light transmissivity corresponding to the in-path portion of the displayed field of view, and a region of perceptibly attenuated light transmissivity corresponding to the out-of-path portion of the displayed field of view.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, including a series of successively receding stadia lines in the delineated in-path portion of the displayed field of view corresponding to successively longer ranges from said vehicle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said conical or frustro-conical region corresponding to the in-path portion of the displayed field of view includes one or more stadia lines traversing said conical or frustro-conical region for aiding estimation of an object'"'"'s range from the vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said stadia lines have a length that corresponds to a width of the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the delineated in-path portion of the displayed field of view is wider than the length of said stadia lines.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said reticle substrate is a cover of said video camera device.