Vehicle rearview back-up system and method

• US 8,872,921 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: GE, CHI-SHENG
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Jr., Howard D
• Application Number:
  US13/299,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20120133766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 348/240.99, 342/53, 701/36
• 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 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/0295 by overlaying a vehicle path based on present steering angle over an image without processing that image

Abstract

A vehicle rearview back-up system includes a backup camera, a display, a calculator, a storage unit, a detector, and a moving unit. The backup camera captures an image of a parking spot when the vehicle is backed-up to a predetermined position. The display displays the captured image and an outlined parking spot in the captured image defined by the driver. The calculator calculates an imaging ratio between the size of the captured image and the size of the outlined parking spot. The display displays a vehicle image in a predetermined region according to the calculated imaging ratio. The detector detects moving direction and moving distance of the vehicle. The moving unit moves the vehicle image in the display according to the moving direction and moving distance of the vehicle, and the calculated imaging ratio for implementing the back-up process of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle rearview back-up system for providing a rear view for a driver, the vehicle rearview back-up system comprising:

a backup camera disposed at a rear of the vehicle for capturing an image of a parking spot in which the vehicle is to be parked when the vehicle is backed-up to a predetermined position;

a display capable of being touched by the driver to outline the parking spot on the captured image of the parking spot to obtain an outlined parking spot;

a calculator for calculating an imaging ratio between a size of the captured image of the parking spot and a size of the outlined parking spot;

a storage unit for storing a vehicle image;

the display further simultaneously displaying the vehicle image and the outlined parking spot on the captured image of the parking spot according to the calculated imaging ratio;

a detector for detecting moving direction and moving distance of the vehicle; and

a moving unit for moving the vehicle image in the the captured image of the parking spot according to the detected moving direction and moving distance of the vehicle, and the calculated imaging ratio for implementing the back-up process of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle rearview back-up system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outlined parking spot includes a view of the parking space and at least one obstacle located at a back boundary of the parking space.

3. The vehicle rearview back-up system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the calculator comprises a radar and a calculating module, the radar is arranged at the rear of the vehicle for calculating a subject distance of the captured image of the parking spot, the calculating module is used for calculating a view distance of the captured image of the parking spot, and calculating the size of the captured image of the parking spot according to the subject distance and view distance.

4. The vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the radar detects the distance between the rear of the vehicle and the obstacle and further calculates the subject distance according to the detected distance;

and the calculating module calculates the view distance according to the subject distance and a focal length of the captured image of the parking spot.

5. The vehicle rearview back-up system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the backup camera and the radar are disposed on the same horizontal level at the rear of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle rearview back-up system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the backup camera is closest to the obstacle in the predetermined position and captures the image of the whole parking spot.

7. The vehicle rearview back-up system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined region is obtained according to the current location of the vehicle input by the driver.

8. The vehicle rearview back-up system of claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined region is obtained according to the predetermined position where the backup camera captures the image of the parking spot.

9. A vehicle rearview back-up method for providing a rear view for a driver, the method comprising the following steps:

capturing an image of the parking spot when the vehicle is backed-up to a predetermined position;

providing a display capable of being touched by the driver to outline the parking spot on the captured image of the parking spot to obtain an outlined parking spot;

calculating an imaging ratio between a size of the captured image of the parking spot and a size of the outlined parking spot;

displaying a vehicle image and the outlined parking spot on the captured image of the parking spot simultaneously according to the calculated imaging ratio;

detecting the moving distance and the moving direction of the vehicle; and

moving the vehicle image in the captured image of the parking spot according to the imaging ratio, the detected moving distance, and the detected moving direction to implement the back-up process of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle rearview back-up method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the outlined parking spot comprises a view of the parking space and at least one obstacle located at a back boundary of the parking space.

11. The vehicle rearview back-up method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of calculating the imaging ratio between the size of the captured image of the parking spot and the size of the outlined parking spot comprises the steps of:

detecting the distance between the vehicle and the at least one obstacle when the vehicle is located at the predetermined position;

calculating a subject distance of the captured image of the parking spot according to the distance between the rear of the vehicle and the obstacle;

obtaining a focal length of the captured image of the parking spot and calculating a view distance according to the subject distance and the focal length; and

calculating the size of the captured image of the parking spot according to the subject distance and the view distance.

12. The vehicle rearview back-up method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined region is determined according to the current location of the vehicle input by users.

13. The vehicle rearview back-up method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined region is determined according to the predetermined position.