Vehicular vision system

• US 7,561,181 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schofield, Kenneth, Larson, Mark L, Vadas, Keith J
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US11/122,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20050200700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 348113-117, 348142-160
• US Class Current: 348/148
• 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 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/30 providing vision in the non-visible spectrum, e.g. night or infrared vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/103 using camera systems provided with artificial illumination device, e.g. IR light source
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/106 using night vision cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/107 using stereoscopic cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8053 for bad weather conditions or night vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8086 for vehicle path indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vehicle vision system includes a vehicle having first and second spatially separated image capture sensors. The first image capture device has a first field of view haying a first field of view portion at least partially overlapping a field of view portion of a second field of view of the second image capture device. A control receives a first image input from the first image capture sensor and a second image input from the second image capture sensor and generates a composite image synthesized from the first image input and the second image input. A display system displays the composite image.

Claims

1. A vehicular vision system, said system comprising:

a vehicle;

said vehicle comprising a fast image capture sensor and a second image capture sensor;

said first image capture sensor spatially separated from said second image capture sensor;

said first image capture sensor having a first field of view with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle;

said second image capture sensor having a second field of view with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle;

said first field of view having a field of view portion at least partially overlapping a field of view portion of said second field of view;

a control;

said control receiving a first image input from said first image capture sensor;

said control receiving a second image input from said second image capture sensor;

said control generating a composite image, said composite image synthesized from said first image input and said second image input;

a display system displaying said composite image on a single video screen located in said vehicle cabin and viewable by the vehicle driver; and

wherein generation of said composite image from said first and second images for display on said single video screen comprises dynamic adaptation of said first and second image inputs in order to minimize said at least partially overlapping field of view portion.

2. The vision system in claim 1 wherein said first field of view and said second field of view are directed generally rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

3. The vision system in claim 1 wherein said display system displays the rear image either generally above or generally below the central forward field of view of the vehicle driver.

4. The vision system in claim 1 wherein said single video screen is positioned at one of a dashboard, a facia, a header, a windshield and an interior rearview mirror portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle.

5. The vision system in claim 1 wherein said display system comprises a single video display selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, a field emission display, a cathode ray tube, an electroluminescent display, a light-emitting diode display, and a deformable mirror display.

6. The vision system in claim 1 wherein said display system has a variable luminance output which is varied as a function of ambient light levels.

7. The vision system in claim 6 wherein the luminance output of said display system is responsive to one of a vehicle headlight activation control, an ambient light sensor, and an indication of ambient light level developed by said at least one image capture device.

8. The vision system in claim 7 wherein said display system includes a user comfort level setting to establish a desired luminance output level at a particular ambient light level.

9. The vision system in claim 1 wherein said display system includes an image generator.

10. The vision system in claim 9 wherein said image generator comprises an image magnifier which magnifies the displayed rear image generated by said image generator.

11. The vision system in claim 1 wherein said composite image approximates a view from a single image capture sensor a single location.

12. The vision system in claim 1 wherein said composite image displayed by said single video screen of said display system has an aspect ratio that is between approximately 4:

1 and approximately 2;

1.

13. The vision system in claim 1 wherein said composite image displayed by said single video screen of said display system has an aspect ratio that is approximately 8:

3.

14. The vision system in claim 13 wherein said single video screen of said display system displays a supplemental image.

15. The vision system in claim 14 wherein said display system is reconfigurable in order to selectively display different supplemental images on said single video screen.

16. The vision system in claim 15 wherein said supplemental image includes at least one of pager information, telephone number listing, global positioning system output, map, route guidance information, intelligent vehicle highway system information, vehicle radio control settings, vehicle environmental, system settings, vehicle speed, vehicle heading, and turn signal indicators.

17. The vision system in claim 1 wherein said single video screen of said display system displays a supplemental image.

18. The vision system in claim 17 wherein said display system is reconfigurable in order to selectively display different supplemental images on said single video screen.

19. The vision system in claim 18 wherein said supplemental image includes at least one of pager information, telephone number listing, global positioning system output, map, route guidance information, intelligent vehicle highway system information, vehicle radio control settings, vehicle environmental system settings, vehicle speed, vehicle heading, and turn signal indicators.

20. The vision system in claim 1 wherein said synthesization from said first image input and said second image input comprises vertical compression.

21. The vision system in claim 20 wherein said vertical compression substantially eliminates distortion resulting from said spatial separation of said first and second image capture sensors.

26. An imaging system as in claim 2 wherein said control circuit is in communication with said at least one image array sensor via a serial data transmission bus.

27. An imaging system as in claim 26 wherein said serial data transmission bus comprises a three wire serial interface which communicates image exposure instruction from said control circuit to a timing and control circuit and communicates image data from said image array sensor to said control circuit.

22. A vehicular vision system, said system comprising:

a vehicle;

said vehicle, comprising a first image capture sensor and a second image capture sensor;

said first image capture sensor spatially separated from said second image capture sensor;

said first image capture sensor having a first field of view with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle;

said second image capture sensor having a second field of view with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle;

said first field of view having a field of view portion at least partially overlapping a field of view portion of said second field of view;

a control;

said control receiving a first image input from said first image capture sensor;

said control receiving a second image input from said second image capture sensor;

said control generating a composite image, said composite image synthesized from said first image input and said second image input;

a display system displaying said composite image on a single video screen located in said vehicle cabin and viewable by the vehicle driver; and

wherein said system comprises variable exposure control.

23. A vehicular vision system, said system comprising:

a vehicle;

said vehicle comprising a first image capture sensor and a second image capture sensor;

said first image capture sensor spatially separated from said second image capture sensor;

said first image capture sensor having a first field of view with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle;

said second image capture sensor having a second field of view with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle;

said first field of view having a field of view portion at least partially overlapping a field of view portion of said second field of view;

a control;

said control receiving a first image input from said first image capture sensor;

said control receiving a second image input from said second image capture sensor;

said control generating a composite image, said composite image synthesized from said first image input and said second image input;

a display system displaying said composite image on a single video screen located in said vehicle cabin and viewable by the vehicle driver; and

wherein said composite image displayed by said single video screen of said display system has an aspect ratio of at least approximately 2;

1.

24. An imaging system for a vehicle, comprising:

at least one image array sensor and a control circuit, said control circuit is in communication with said at least one image array sensor via at least one of a serial data transmission bus and a parallel data transmission bus, wherein the imaging system is configured for use in a vehicle system selected from the group comprising;

a headlamp control, an electrochromic mirror control, an information display, a rain sensor, a collision avoidance system, an adaptive cruise control, a lane departure warning system and a climate control system, said imaging system comprising at least two vehicle systems configured to share at least one device selected from the group comprising;

a power supply, a light sensor and a microcontroller.

28. An imaging system as in claim 24 wherein said control circuit is in communication with said at least one image array sensor via a parallel data transmission bus.

29. An imaging system as in claim 28 wherein said parallel data transmission bus is configured to communicate image data with image control parameters on the same signal lines.

30. An imaging system as in claim 28 wherein said parallel data transmission bus is configured to communicate image data on separate lines from image control parameters.

31. An imaging system as in claim 24 wherein said control circuit is configured to analyze at least one image as a function of a digital filter.

25. An imaging system for a vehicle, comprising:

at least one device selected from the group comprising;

a power supply, a light sensor and a microcontroller, wherein the imaging system is configured for use in a vehicle system selected from the group comprising;

a headlamp control, an electrochromic mirror control, an information display, a rain sensor, a collision avoidance system, an adaptive cruise control, a lane departure warning system and a climate control system, at least two of said vehicle systems. are configured to share at least one device selected from the group comprising;

a power supply, a light sensor and a microcontroller.

32. An imaging system as in claim 25 further comprising at least one image array sensor and a control circuit in communication with one another over a bus.

33. An imaging system as in claim 32 wherein said bus is a serial interface.

34. An imaging system as in claim 33 wherein said serial interface is a three wire serial interface which communicates image exposure instruction from said control circuit to a timing and control circuit and communicates image data from said image array sensor to said control circuit.

35. An imaging system as in claim 32 wherein said bus is a parallel bus.

36. An imaging system as in claim 35 wherein said bus is configured to communicate image data with image control parameters on the same signal lines.

37. An imaging system as in claim 35 wherein said bus is configured to communicate image data on separate lines from image control parameters.

38. An imaging system as in claim 32 wherein said control circuit is configured to analyze at least one image as a function of a digital filter.