Rear-view multi-functional camera system with driving corridor monitoring features

• US 8,988,493 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Luo, Yun, Hoetzer, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US14/105,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20140118486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/937, 340/933, 340/435, 340/436
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• 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 1/30 providing vision in the non-visible spectrum, e.g. night or infrared vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/307 virtually distinguishing relevant parts of a scene from the background of the scene
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/602 with an adjustable viewpoint
• 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 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A rear-viewing camera system for a vehicle is described that includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to identify a driving corridor in image data received from at least one camera. The driving corridor corresponds to a predicted path of motion of the vehicle travelling in reverse. When a moving object is detected in the image data, the electronic control unit predicts, based on the image data, whether the moving object will enter the driving corridor. If the moving object is predicted to enter the driving corridor, the electronic control unit calculates an estimated time when the object is predicted to enter the driving corridor.

Claims

1. A rear-view camera system for a vehicle, the rear-view camera system comprising an electronic control unit configured to

identify a driving corridor in image data received from at least one camera, the driving corridor corresponding to a predicted path of motion of the vehicle travelling in reverse,

detect a moving object in the image data,

predict, based on the image data, whether the moving object will enter the driving corridor, and

if the moving object is predicted to enter the driving corridor, calculate an estimated time when the object is predicted to enter the driving corridor.

2. The rear-view camera system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to provide a warning to an operator of the vehicle when the moving object is predicted to enter the driving corridor.

3. The rear-view camera system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to provide an indication to the operator of the vehicle of the estimated time when the object is predicted to enter the driving corridor.

4. The rear-view camera system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to determine whether a collision between the vehicle and the object is likely based on current movement of the vehicle and the estimated time when the object is predicted to enter the driving corridor.

5. The rear-view camera system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to estimate a time to collision of the vehicle with the object and provide a warning to the operator of the vehicle based on the estimated time to collision.

6. The rear-view camera system of claim 5, wherein the warning includes at least one selected from a group consisting of an audible warning, a visual warning, and a haptic warner.

7. The rear-view camera system of claim 5, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to

determine whether the operator of the vehicle has taken appropriate action in response to the warning, and

activate a collision mitigation system when the electronic control unit determines that the operator of the vehicle has not taken appropriate action in response to the warning.

8. The rear-view camera system of claim 5, wherein activation of the collision mitigation system slows the speed of the vehicle to attempt to prevent a collision between the object and the vehicle.

9. The rear-view camera system of claim 5, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to transmit the image data from the at least one camera to a display, and wherein the electronic control unit is configured to provide a warning to the operator of the vehicle based on the estimated time to collision by modifying the image data before the image data is transmitted to the display, the modified image data highlighting the moving object.

10. The rear-view camera system of claim 1, wherein the image data received by the electronic control unit includes

a first image data set from a first camera positioned on a rear side of the vehicle, the first image data set corresponding to a first field of view, and

a second image data set from a second camera positioned on the rear side of the vehicle a horizontal distance from the first camera, the second image data set corresponding to a second field of view,

wherein the first field of view partially overlaps with the second field of view.

11. The rear-view camera system of claim 10, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to produce a panoramic image based on the first image data set and the second image data set and to transmit the panoramic image to a display.

12. The rear-view camera system of claim 11, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to produce the panoramic image by incorporating image data corresponding to a non-overlapping portion of the first field of view, image data corresponding to a non-overlapping portion of the second field of view, and combined image data corresponding to overlapping portions of the first field of view and the second field of view.

13. The rear-view camera system of claim 11, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to transmit the panoramic image to the display only when the vehicle is operating in reverse.

14. The rear-view camera system of claim 10, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to:

generate three-dimensional data regarding objects detected in a portion of the second field of view that overlaps with the first field of view, the three-dimensional data being generated based on the image data from the first camera and the image data from the second camera,

analyze movement, relative to the vehicle, of an object in the portion of the second field of view that overlaps with the first field of view based on the three-dimensional data,

analyze movement, relative to the vehicle, of an object in a portion of the first field of view that does not overlap with the second field of view based on two-dimensional data from the first camera, and

analyze movement, relative to the vehicle, of an object in a portion of the second field of view that does not overlap with the first field of view based on two-dimensional data from the second camera.

15. The rear-view camera system of claim 14, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to

identify the driving corridor in image data received from at least one camera by identifying the driving corridor in the three-dimensional data for the portion of the second field of view that overlaps with the first field of view;

and

detect the moving object in the image data by detecting the moving object in the portion of the first field of view that does not overlap with the second field of view in the image data from the first camera.