Vision system for a vehicle including image processor
DC CAFCFirst Claim
Patent Images
1. A vision system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a vehicle equipped with at least two image capture devices, said two image capture devices capturing images external of the vehicle, said two image capture devices having overlapping fields of view;
said vehicle equipped with an image processor, wherein image data captured by said two image capture devices are processed by said image processor, said image processor producing a synthesized image from said image data captured by said two image capture devices, and wherein said synthesized image comprises a composite image of said image data captured by said two image capture devices without duplication of image information;
said vehicle equipped with a display screen displaying said synthesized image, said synthesized image displayed as a single image on a single display screen that is viewable by a driver of said vehicle when the driver is normally operating said vehicle, wherein the displayed image displayed on said single display screen includes an image portion from an image captured by each of said two image capture devices; and
said image processor processing said image data by at least one technique chosen from luminant blending, chrominant blending, dynamic range extending, pixel group compensation, anti-blooming, multiple exposure, image morphing compensation and image warping compensation.
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Abstract
A vision system for a vehicle is provided that includes a vehicle equipped with at least two image capture devices. The image capture devices capture an image external of the vehicle and have overlapping fields of view. Outputs of the at least two image capture devices are fed to an image processor. The image processor produces a synthesized image from the outputs of the at least two image capture devices. The vision system may be a night-vision system.
563 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A vision system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a vehicle equipped with at least two image capture devices, said two image capture devices capturing images external of the vehicle, said two image capture devices having overlapping fields of view; said vehicle equipped with an image processor, wherein image data captured by said two image capture devices are processed by said image processor, said image processor producing a synthesized image from said image data captured by said two image capture devices, and wherein said synthesized image comprises a composite image of said image data captured by said two image capture devices without duplication of image information; said vehicle equipped with a display screen displaying said synthesized image, said synthesized image displayed as a single image on a single display screen that is viewable by a driver of said vehicle when the driver is normally operating said vehicle, wherein the displayed image displayed on said single display screen includes an image portion from an image captured by each of said two image capture devices; and said image processor processing said image data by at least one technique chosen from luminant blending, chrominant blending, dynamic range extending, pixel group compensation, anti-blooming, multiple exposure, image morphing compensation and image warping compensation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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at least three image capture devices mounted to the vehicle and directed rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of said vehicle; wherein two of said image capture devices comprise side image capture devices respectively mounted on opposite lateral sides of said vehicle and one of said image capture devices comprises a center image capture device mounted at a center rear portion of the vehicle between said side image capture devices, and wherein said center image capture device has a field of view that overlaps the fields of view of each of said side image capture devices; a display system which displays a composite image synthesized from image data captured by said image capture devices without duplication of image information, said display system displaying said composite image on a single display screen of the vehicle that is viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the driver is normally operating the vehicle, the displayed image including an image portion from an image captured by each of said side and center image capture devices; and wherein said side and center image capture devices are aimed along non-parallel axes and wherein said displayed composite image aids a driver when the driver is maneuvering the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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at least three image capture devices mounted to the vehicle, each of said image capture devices having a respective generally rearward field of view, two of said image capture devices being side image capture devices respectively mounted on opposite lateral sides of said vehicle and one of said image capture devices being a center image capture device mounted at a rear center portion of the vehicle between said side image capture devices, and wherein said center image capture device has a field of view that overlaps the fields of view of each of said side image capture devices; a display system which displays a composite image synthesized from image data captured by said image capture devices without duplication of image information, said display system displaying said composite image on a single display screen of the vehicle that is viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the driver is normally operating the vehicle, the displayed image including an image portion from an image captured by each of said image capture devices; wherein an electronically generated graphic overlay is provided on said displayed composite image that enhances the driver'"'"'s understanding of what is in the area adjacent the vehicle and wherein said displayed composite image aids a driver when the driver is maneuvering the vehicle; and wherein each of said three image capture devices comprises a CMOS imaging array. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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at least three image capture devices mounted to the vehicle, each of said image capture devices having a respective generally rearward field of view, two of said image capture devices being side image capture devices respectively mounted on opposite lateral sides of said vehicle and one of said image capture devices being a center image capture device mounted at a rear center portion of the vehicle between said side image capture devices, and wherein said center image capture device has a field of view that overlaps the fields of view of each of said side image capture devices; a display system which displays a composite image synthesized from image data captured by said image capture devices without duplication of image information, said display system displaying said composite image on a single display screen of the vehicle that is viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the driver is normally operating the vehicle, the displayed image including an image portion from an image captured by each of said image capture devices; and wherein at least one of (a) said three image capture devices are at substantially the same height on the vehicle and (b) said three image capture devices are aimed along non-parallel axes. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A vision system for a vehicle having a gear actuator, said vision system comprising:
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at least two image capture devices positioned on the vehicle and directed rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of said vehicle, and wherein said two image capture devices have overlapping fields of view; a display system which displays a composite image synthesized from image data captured by said two image capture devices without duplication of image information, said display system displaying said composite image on a single display screen of the vehicle that is viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the driver is normally operating the vehicle, wherein the displayed composite image displayed on said single display screen includes an image portion from an image captured by each of said two image capture devices; wherein an electronically generated graphic overlay, that enhances the driver'"'"'s understanding of what is in the area adjacent the vehicle, is seen superimposed on said displayed composite image; and wherein said graphic overlay is enabled when the vehicle'"'"'s gear actuator is selected to be in reverse gear. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A vision system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a vehicle equipped with at least two image capture devices, said at least two image capture devices capturing images external of the vehicle, said two image capture devices having overlapping fields of view; said vehicle equipped with an image processor, wherein image data captured by said two image capture devices are processed by said image processor, said image processor producing a synthesized image from said image data captured by said two image capture devices, and wherein said synthesized image comprises a composite image of said image data of said two image capture devices without duplication of image information; said vehicle equipped with a display screen displaying said synthesized image, said synthesized image displayed as a single image on a single display screen that is viewable by a driver of said vehicle when the driver is normally operating said vehicle, wherein the displayed image displayed on said single display screen includes an image portion from an image captured by each of said two image capture devices; and said image processor processing said image data by luminant blending. - View Dependent Claims (42)
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43. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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a left side image capture device mounted at a left side of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly and sidewardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said left side image capture device is mounted at or near a left side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle; a right side image capture device mounted at a right side of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly and sidewardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said right side image capture device is mounted at or near a right side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle; a center image capture device mounted at a center rear portion of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle; wherein said left image capture device and said center image capture device have overlapping fields of view and wherein said right image capture device and said center image capture device have overlapping fields of view; an image processor, wherein image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices are processed by said image processor, wherein said image processor processes said image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices to synthesize a synthesized composite image, and wherein said synthesized image comprises a composite image of said image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices without duplication of image information; a display screen displaying said synthesized composite image, wherein said synthesized composite image is displayed as a single image on a single display screen that is viewable by a driver of said vehicle when the driver is normally operating said vehicle; wherein the displayed image displayed on said single display screen comprises a left image portion derived from at least a portion of an image captured by said left image capture device, a center portion derived from at least a portion of an image captured by said center image capture device, and a right portion derived from at least a portion of an image captured by said right image capture device, and wherein the displayed image approximates a view from a single location; and wherein said image processor processes said image data by luminant blending and at least one technique chosen from chrominant blending, dynamic range extending, pixel group compensation, anti-blooming, multiple exposure, image morphing compensation and image warping compensation.
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44. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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a left side image capture device mounted at a left side of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly and sidewardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said left side image capture device is mounted at or near a left side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle; a right side image capture device mounted at a right side of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly and sidewardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said right side image capture device is mounted at or near a right side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle; a center image capture device mounted at a center rear portion of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle; wherein said left image capture device and said center image capture device have overlapping fields of view and wherein said right image capture device and said center image capture device have overlapping fields of view; an image processor, wherein image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices are processed by said image processor, wherein said image processor processes said image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices to synthesize a synthesized composite image, and wherein said synthesized image comprises a composite image of said image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices without duplication of image information; a display screen displaying said synthesized composite image, wherein said synthesized composite image is displayed as a single image on a single display screen that is viewable by a driver of said vehicle when the driver is normally operating said vehicle; wherein the displayed image displayed on said single display screen comprises a left image portion derived from at least a portion of an image captured by said left image capture device, a center portion derived from at least a portion of an image captured by said center image capture device, and a right portion derived from at least a portion of an image captured by said right image capture device; wherein the displayed image approximates a view from a single location; and wherein the displayed image includes a dead space which would be occupied by said vehicle in said view. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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46. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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a left side image capture device mounted at a left side of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly and sidewardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said left side image capture device is mounted at or near a left side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle; a right side image capture device mounted at a right side of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly and sidewardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said right side image capture device is mounted at or near a right side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle; a center image capture device mounted at a center rear portion of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle; wherein said left image capture device and said center image capture device have overlapping fields of view so that a portion of images captured by said left image capture device and said center image capture device encompass similar regions exterior the vehicle, and wherein said right image capture device and said center image capture device have overlapping fields of view so that a portion of images captured by said right image capture device and said center image capture device encompass similar regions exterior the vehicle; an image processor, wherein image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices are processed by said image processor, wherein said image processor processes said image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices to synthesize a synthesized composite image, and wherein said synthesized image comprises a composite image of said image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices without duplication of image information; a display screen for displaying said synthesized composite image;
wherein said synthesized composite image is displayed as a single image on a single display screen that is viewable by a driver of said vehicle when the driver is normally operating said vehicle; andwherein the displayed image displayed on said single display screen includes an image portion from an image captured by each of said left, right and center image capture devices, and wherein the displayed image approximates a view from a single location.
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47. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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a left side image capture device mounted at a left side of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly and sidewardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said left side image capture device is mounted at or near a left side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle; a right side image capture device mounted at a right side of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly and sidewardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said right side image capture device is mounted at or near a right side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle; a center image capture device mounted at a center rear portion of the vehicle and directed generally rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle; wherein said left image capture device and said center image capture device have overlapping fields of view so that a portion of images captured by said left image capture device and said center image capture device encompass similar regions exterior the vehicle, and wherein said right image capture device and said center image capture device have overlapping fields of view so that a portion of images captured by said right image capture device and said center image capture device encompass similar regions exterior the vehicle; an image processor, wherein image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices are processed by said image processor, wherein said image processor processes said image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices to synthesize a synthesized composite image, and wherein said synthesized image comprises a composite image of said image data captured by said left, right and center image capture devices without duplication of image information; a display screen for displaying said synthesized composite image, wherein said synthesized composite image is displayed as a single image on a single display screen that is viewable by a driver of said vehicle when the driver is normally operating said vehicle; wherein the displayed image displayed on said single display screen includes an image portion from an image captured by each of said left, right and center image capture devices; and wherein said displayed composite image provides to the driver a sense of perspective in order to enhance the driver'"'"'s ability to maneuver the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49)
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Specification