Display device for visually-depicting fields of view of a commercial vehicle

• US 8,953,011 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Lang, Werner, Bauer, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAWAZ, TALHA M
• Application Number:
  US13/367,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20120200664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 348 30-161
• US Class Current: 348/36
• 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 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views

Abstract

A display device for visually depicting legally-prescribed fields of view of a commercial vehicle in a driver'"'"'s cab of the commercial vehicle includes at least one display unit. The display device permanently and in real time displays at least two fields of view, which are legally-prescribed to be permanently displayed during operation of the vehicle, on the display unit in the driver'"'"'s cab in a common image.

Claims

1. A display device configured to visually depict fields of view of a commercial vehicle, the display device comprising:

at least one display unit disposed within a driver'"'"'s cab of the commercial vehicle, the display device being configured to permanently and in real time display at least two fields of view, which are to be permanently displayed during operation of the vehicle, on the display unit in a common image, and a power supply device that is independent of an on-board power supply of the commercial vehicle, wherein the at least two fields of view contain a field of view corresponding to a primary mirror and a field of view corresponding to a wide-angle mirror of the same side of the vehicle, both of which are displayed in the common image, and

wherein the display device includes at least two image capture units configured to respectively capture visual information corresponding to the at least two fields of view.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two fields of view are adjoining and the display device is configured display the at least two fields of view as either directly bordering each other or overlapping each other.

3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein a first of the at least two fields of view contains a field of view corresponding to a left primary mirror and another of the at least two fields of view contains a field of view corresponding to a right primary mirror.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein the first of the at least two fields of view further contains a field of view corresponding to a left wide-angle mirror and the another of the at least two fields of view contains a field of view corresponding to a right wide-angle mirror.

5. The display device according to claim 4, wherein the display device is configured to depict at least one of the field of view corresponding to the left primary mirror and the field of view corresponding to the left wide-angle mirror on a left side of the display unit.

6. The display device according to claim 5, wherein the display device is configured to depict at least one of the field of view corresponding to the right primary mirror and the field of view corresponding to the right wide-angle mirror on a right side of the display unit.

7. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the at least two fields of view contain at least one of a field of view corresponding to a close-proximity mirror and a field of view corresponding to a front mirror.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein the display device is configured to depict the at least one of the fields of view corresponding to the close-proximity mirror and the field of view corresponding to the front mirror in a middle portion of the display unit relative to a left-right direction.

9. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to display the at least two fields of view in a bird'"'"'s eye view.

10. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to permanently depict the at least two fields of view on the display unit at the same position and with the same size.

11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to permanently depict the at least two fields of view on the display unit at least one of at varying positions and with varying sizes.

12. The display device according to claim 11, wherein the display device is configured to display, with reference to the commercial vehicle, position information superimposed on at least one of the fields of view and the viewing areas.

13. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is configured to depict at least one additional viewing area on the display unit, wherein the at least one additional viewing area contains visual information captured at at least one of a front area of the commercial vehicle and a tail area of the commercial vehicle.

14. The display device according to claim 13, further comprising a rear view camera configured to capture visual information at the tail area of the commercial vehicle and to supply the captured visual information to the display unit.

15. The display device according to claim 13, wherein the at least one additional viewing area contains visual information captured at the tail area of the commercial vehicle and the display device is configured to depict the at least one additional viewing area as at least one of overlapping and bordering at least one of a field of view corresponding to a primary mirror and a field of view corresponding to a wide-angle mirror.

16. The display device according to claim 13, wherein the display device is configured to depict the at least one additional viewing area intermittently and in a varying manner with respect to its position on the display unit.

17. The display device according to claim 16, wherein the display device is configured to vary the visual depiction of the at least one additional viewing area on the display unit in accordance with at least one of a detected vehicle speed and a detected vehicle driving direction.

18. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device has a single display unit configured to display all depicted fields of view.

19. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device includes two, three or four display units, which are separated from each other.

20. The display device according to claim 19, wherein the display device is configured to depict on a first one of the display units, from among all of the to-be-depicted fields of view, only a field of view corresponding to a left primary mirror and a field of view corresponding to a left wide-angle mirror.

21. The display device according to claim 20, wherein the display device is configured to depict on a second one of the display units, from among all of the to-be-depicted fields of view, only a field of view corresponding to a right primary mirror and a field of view corresponding to a right wide-angle mirror.

22. The display device according to claim 21, wherein the display device is configured to depict on a third one of the display units, from among all of the to-be-depicted fields of view, only a field of view corresponding to at least one of a close-proximity mirror and a front mirror.

23. The display device according to claim 1, further including at least one image capture unit configured to capture visual information corresponding to at least one of the at least two fields of view.

24. The display device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one image capture unit has a resolution that is higher than the resolution of the at least one display unit.

25. The display device according to claim 23, wherein the at least one of the image capture unit has a resolution that is at least 2 M pixels.

26. The display device according to claim 1, further including a plurality of image capture units configured to respectively capture visual information corresponding to the at least two fields of view, the number of image capture units being greater than the number of the display units.

27. The display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the display device is configured to combine the at least two sets of field of view information captured by the at least two image capture units into a single to-be-depicted field of view.

28. The display device according to claim 1, wherein

the at least two image capture units comprise a first image capture unit and a second image capture unit,

the first image capture unit has a first resolution and is configured to capture a first angle of view corresponding to at least one of the two fields of view, and

the second image capture unit has a second resolution and is configured to capture a second angle of view corresponding to the at least one of the two fields of view, the second angle of view being different from the first angle of view and the first resolution being higher than the second resolution.

29. The display device according to claim 28, wherein the first angle of view is smaller than the second image angle of view.

30. The display device according to claim 28, wherein the display device is configured to show the first and second angles of view respectively captured by the first and second image capture units on a single display unit without overlap, and

the display device is configured to show a confluence portion of a field of view of a primary mirror and a field of view of a wide-angle mirror of the same vehicle side on the single display unit.

31. The display device according to claim 30, wherein the first angle of view is smaller than the second image angle of view.

32. The display device according to claim 1, further including a power supply device that is independent of an on-board power supply of the commercial vehicle.

33. A display device configured to visually depict fields of view of a commercial vehicle, the display device comprising:

at least one display unit disposed within a driver'"'"'s cab of the commercial vehicle, the display device being configured to permanently and in real time display at least two fields of view, which are to be permanently displayed during operation of the vehicle, on the display unit in a common image, wherein the at least two fields of view contain a field of view corresponding to a primary mirror and a field of view corresponding to a wide-angle mirror of the same side of the vehicle, both of which are displayed in the common image, and further including

a power supply device that is independent of an on-board power supply of the commercial vehicle.

34. A display device configured to visually depict fields of view of a commercial vehicle, the display device comprising:

at least one display unit disposed within a driver'"'"'s cab of the commercial vehicle, the display device being configured to permanently and in real time display at least two fields of view, which are to be permanently displayed during operation of the vehicle, on the display unit in a common image, and

further including a power supply device that is independent of an on-board power supply of the commercial vehicle,

wherein the at least two fields of view contain;

a field of view corresponding to a primary mirror and a field of view corresponding to a wide-angle mirror from a left side of the commercial vehicle,

a field of view corresponding to a primary mirror and a field of view corresponding to a wide-angle mirror from a right side of the commercial vehicle,

a field of view corresponding to a close-proximity mirror,

a field of view corresponding to a front mirror, and

a field of view corresponding to a tail area of the commercial vehicle,

wherein the display device further comprises a plurality of image capture units configured to respectively capture visual information corresponding to all the fields of view and at least four additional viewing areas, the at least four additional viewing area respectively containing visual information corresponding to a front area, the left and right sides and the tail area of the commercial vehicle, and

the display device is further configured to;

permanently depict the fields of view and the additional viewing areas on the display unit in a bird'"'"'s eye view at least one of at varying positions and with varying sizes that depend upon at least one of a detected vehicle speed and a detected vehicle driving direction, and

display, with reference to the commercial vehicle, position information superimposed on at least one of the fields of view and the additional viewing areas.