Device for monitoring an environment of a vehicle with pairs of wafer level cameras using different base distances

• US 9,238,435 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2014
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Gloger, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): PRINCE, JESSICA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US14/480,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20150015715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/31 providing stereoscopic 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 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for monitoring an environment of a vehicle, wherein the environment is captured by means of a plurality of image capturing units, the capture ranges (2) thereof at least partially overlapping each other and forming an overlap range (3), wherein an overall image is generated from the individual images captured by means of the image capturing units by means of an image processing unit, said overall image showing the vehicle and the environment thereof from a bird'"'"'s-eye view. According to the invention, the image capturing units are designed as wafer-level cameras (1).

Claims

1. A device for monitoring an environment of a vehicle, wherein the environment is captured by means of a plurality of image capturing units, the capture ranges (2) thereof at least partially overlapping each other and forming an overlap range (3), wherein an overall image is generated from the individual images captured by means of the image capturing units by means of an image processing unit, which overall image shows the vehicle and the environment thereof from a bird'"'"'s-eye view,

wherein the image capturing units are wafer-level cameras (1),

wherein several wafer-level cameras (1) are arranged parallel adjacent to each other in the form of a line, and

wherein the image processing unit obtains a first stereo image from a first pair of wafer-level cameras separated by a first base distance and a second stereo image from a second pair of wafer-level cameras separated by a second base distance, wherein the first base distance is different from the second base distance, to obtain stereo images with different base widths.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the wafer-level cameras (1) are arranged at the sides of a vehicle body in an integrated manner.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein two wafer-level cameras (1) of a line simultaneously record individual images and transfer the individual images recorded by each camera to the image processing unit.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein a display device for depicting the overall image is provided.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit is arranged in the immediate spatial proximity to the wafer level cameras (1) in the vehicle.