On-vehicle three-dimensional video system and method of monitoring the surrounding environment of a vehicle using the same

• US 8,830,318 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Diehl, Peter G., Yang, Sam, Shen, Li, Lu, Huan
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US12/910,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20110102552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 348/47, 348/148
• 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 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/31 providing stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/107 using stereoscopic cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An on-vehicle three-dimensional video system is provided for a vehicle and a method is provided for monitoring a surrounding environment of a vehicle. The on-vehicle three-dimensional video system includes, but is not limited to cameras, a display screen, a control module, and a power supply device. The cameras are provided in pairs for filming the surrounding environment of the vehicle from different angles, and the display screen is able to bring about a three-dimensional video effect according to pairs of video signals from the cameras. With the on-vehicle three-dimensional video system, a realistic three-dimensional output of the surrounding environment of the vehicle is realized on the display screen so that the driver can clearly know about the precise relative position of a corresponding portion of the vehicle with respect to the surrounding environment.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle three-dimensional video system for a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of pairs of cameras adapted to film a surrounding environment of the vehicle from different angles, each of the plurality of pairs of cameras disposed in the rear of the vehicle, and each pair of cameras comprising a first camera representing viewing from a left eye of a human and a second camera representing viewing from a right eye of the human;

a display screen;

a control module in communication with said plurality of cameras and said display screen; and

a power supply device electrically connected to said plurality of cameras, the display screen, and the control module, and adapted to supply electrical power,

wherein the control module is adapted to acquire, calculate, process, store and control video information from the plurality of cameras and transmit processed video information to the display screen so that the display screen displays a three dimensional video representation by reflecting an image from the first camera of the pair to the left eye of a driver of the vehicle and reflecting an image form the second camera of the pair to the right eye of the driver according to the video information.

2. The on-vehicle three-dimensional video system according to claim 1, wherein a distance between at least one pair of the plurality of cameras is from approximately 5 cm to approximately 8 cm.

3. The on-vehicle three-dimensional video system according to claim 1, wherein a distance between at least one pair of the plurality of cameras is approximately 6.35 cm.

4. The on-vehicle three-dimensional video system according to claim 1, wherein a distance between at least one pair of the plurality of cameras of the on-vehicle three dimensional video system is adjustable.

5. The on-vehicle three-dimensional video system according to claim 1, wherein a display on the display screen can be switched between a two-dimensional display and a three-dimensional display.

6. The on-vehicle three-dimensional video system according to claim 1, wherein a display on the display screen is adapted to switch among three-dimensional videos filmed by different pairs of the plurality of cameras.

7. The on-vehicle three-dimensional video system according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the first camera and the second camera of at least one pair of the plurality of cameras of the on-vehicle three dimensional video system is adjustable between approximately 5 cm and approximately 8 cm.

8. The on-vehicle three-dimensional video system according to claim 1, wherein the display screen is adapted to automatically display videos filmed by the plurality of cameras located in the rear of the vehicle when the vehicle is in an astern-running state.

9. The on-vehicle three-dimensional video system according to claim 1, wherein the display screen is adapted for use as a DVD display screen for an on-vehicle DVD.

18. The on-vehicle three-dimensional video system of claim 1, wherein the combining of the images of both cameras in the pair of cameras generates a three dimensional images that simulates a three dimensional image generated by a pair of human eyes.

20. The on-vehicle three-dimensional video system according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the first camera and the second camera of at least one pair of the plurality of cameras of the on-vehicle three dimensional video system is adjustable based on different situations for adjusting quality of video output of the on-vehicle three-dimensional video system.

10. A method of monitoring a surrounding environment of a vehicle, comprising:

filming the surrounding environment of the vehicle from different angles using a plurality of pairs of cameras in proximity to one another, each of the plurality of pairs of cameras disposed in the rear of the vehicle, and each pair of cameras comprising a first camera representing viewing from a left eye of a human and a second camera representing viewing from a right eye of the human, wherein the first and second camera of each pair of cameras has substantially the same range of vision images outside the vehicle but from different angles;

acquiring, calculating, processing, storing and controlling video information from the plurality of cameras using a control module by combining the images from both cameras in the pair to generate a three dimensional image; and

transmitting processed video information to a display screen to display a three-dimensional video on the display screen according to the processed video information by reflecting an image from the first camera of the pair to the left eye of a driver of the vehicle and reflecting an image form the second camera of the pair to the right eye of the driver according to the video information.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein a distance between the cameras in the pair is from approximately 5 cm to approximately 8 cm.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein a distance between the cameras in the pair is approximately 6.35 cm.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising adjusting a distance between the cameras in the pair of the on-vehicle three dimensional video system.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising switching the display on the display screen between a two-dimensional display and a three-dimensional display.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising switching the display on the display screen among three-dimensional videos filmed by the pair of cameras.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising adjusting a distance between the first camera and the second camera of at least one pair of cameras of the on-vehicle three dimensional video system between approximately 5 cm and approximately 8 cm.

17. The method according to claim 10, further comprising automatically displaying videos filmed by the pair of cameras located in the rear of the vehicle when the vehicle is in an astern-running state.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the wherein the combining of the images of both cameras in the pair of cameras generates a three dimensional images that simulates a three dimensional image generated by a pair of human eyes.