Driver assistance device for a vehicle and a method for visualizing the surroundings of a vehicle

• US 8,519,837 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yanfeng Czechia Automotive Interior Systems s.r.o.
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls GmbH (Adient plc)
• Inventors: Kirsch, Oliver, Schliep, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEE, ANDREW W.
• Application Number:
  US12/066,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20080316011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,547 Days
• Field of Search: 340/901, 340/905, 340/425.5, 340/435, 340/438, 701/301, 345/7
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/149 Instrument input by detecting viewing direction not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/191 Highlight information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/285 for improving awareness by directing driver's gaze direction or eye points
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• 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 2300/304 using merged images, e.g. merging camera image with stored images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/305 merging camera image with lines or icons
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8033 for pedestrian protection
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0181 Adaptation to the pilot/driver
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 : Head-up displays

Abstract

The invention relates to a driver assistance device for a vehicle and a method for visualizing the environment of the vehicle. Said driver assistance device is associated with two sensors for detecting the environment of the vehicle. The sensors have a different resolution and/or the driver assistance device is associated with a display device. Said display device is arranged in the region of the front disk in order to restrict analogic contact on the display which represents attentiveness information.

Claims

1. A driver assistance device for a vehicle comprising:

at least two sensors for sensing surroundings of the vehicle, wherein the at least two sensors sense different spectral ranges relative to one another;

wherein a first sensor of the at least two sensors is sensitive both in a range of visible light and in a range of near infrared light, wherein a second sensor of the at least two sensors senses in a range of infrared light, wherein a second sensor of the at least two sensors has a lower resolution than a first sensor of the at least two sensors;

a display device configured to display attentiveness information in a region of a front windshield of the vehicle and at least one of in a region of a cockpit of the vehicle and in a region of a center console of the vehicle, wherein the attentiveness information comprises a cartoon-like display, wherein the display device displays the attentiveness information in a restrictedly contact-analogous fashion; and

a device for determining a position of a driver'"'"'s head, a position of the driver'"'"'s eyes, and a movement of the driver'"'"'s eyes,

wherein a location of the attentiveness information is dependent on the position of the driver'"'"'s head.

2. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two sensors have different resolutions relative to one another.

3. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to provide a headup display in a region of the front windshield.

4. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to display a graphic representation of at least part of the surroundings of the vehicle.

5. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in order to extract the attentiveness information, data supplied by a sensor of the at least two sensors is processed or data supplied by the at least two sensors is merged.

6. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attentiveness information comprises distance information.

7. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attentiveness information comprises a luminous marking in a peripheral region of the front windshield.

8. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the graphic representation comprises a display of data supplied by one sensor of the at least two sensors or the graphic representation comprises a merged display of data supplied by the at least two sensors.

9. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the graphic representation comprises a representation in incorrect colors due to a sensor of the at least two sensors.

20. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two sensors are in or on a roof bracket, in or on a windshield or in or on a rear view mirror of the vehicle.

10. A driver assistance device for a vehicle comprising:

two sensors sensing different spectral ranges relative to one another, wherein a first sensor of the two sensors is sensitive both in a range of visible light and in a range of near infrared light;

a display device configured to display attentiveness information in a restrictedly contact-analogous fashion in a region of a front windshield of the vehicle and at least one of in a region of a cockpit of the vehicle and in a region of a center console of the vehicle, wherein the attentiveness information comprises a cartoon-like display; and

a device for determining a position of a driver'"'"'s head, a position of the driver'"'"'s eyes, and a movement of the driver'"'"'s eyes,

wherein a location of the attentiveness information is dependent on the position of the driver'"'"'s head.

11. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the two sensors sense surroundings of the vehicle, wherein data supplied by the two sensors is merged to extract the attentiveness information.

12. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the attentiveness information comprises a display projected into the region of the front windshield.

13. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the attentiveness information further comprises a luminous marking in a peripheral region of the front windshield.

14. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the display device comprises a headup display.

15. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the attentiveness information comprises distance information.

16. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the spectral ranges comprise at least one of in a range of visible light, in a far infrared range, and in a near infrared range.

17. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising an additional display, wherein the additional display displays a graphic representation of at least part of surroundings of the vehicle.

18. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the graphic representation corresponds to a merged representation of signals from the two sensors, wherein the merged representation comprises a representation in incorrect colors, and wherein the representation in incorrect colors is due to a sensor which is sensitive in an infrared range.

21. The driver assistance device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the representation in incorrect colors is due to a sensor which is sensitive in a long wave infrared range, wherein the two sensors have different resolutions.

19. A method for visualizing surroundings of a vehicle comprising:

sensing surroundings of the vehicle with at least two sensors in order to generate attentiveness information, wherein the at least two sensors sense different spectral ranges relative to one another, wherein a first sensor of the at least two sensors is sensitive both in a range of visible light and in a range of near infrared light;

displaying the attentiveness information in a restrictedly contact-analogous fashion with a display device in a region of a front windshield of the vehicle and at least one of in a region of a cockpit of the vehicle and in a region of a center console of the vehicle, wherein the attentiveness information comprises a cartoon-like display;

determining a position of a driver'"'"'s head, a position of the driver'"'"'s eyes, and a movement of the driver'"'"'s eyes; and

determining a location of the attentiveness information dependent on the position of the driver'"'"'s head.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising merging data supplied by the at least two sensors.