Rearview imaging systems for vehicle

• US 9,242,602 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FotoNation Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: FotoNation Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Corcoran, Peter, Bigioi, Petronel, Stec, Piotr
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/596,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20140055616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148, 348/149
• 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 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• 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 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A rearview imaging system for a vehicle includes at least one video camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle for providing a wide angle horizontal field of view (FoV) rearwardly of the vehicle, and a display device in the vehicle at a position viewable by the driver. A video processor subdivides the camera FoV into three horizontally disposed sub-FOVs and displaying said sub-FoVs on visually separated side-by-side regions of the display device screen. The horizontal position and/or extent of at least one sub-FoV is variable as a function of the motion of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A rearview imaging system for a vehicle, comprising:

at least one video camera mounted on the vehicle for continuously providing a video signal of images captured with a wide angle horizontal field of view (FoV), and pointing in a rearward direction of the vehicle,

a display device configured to generate one or more real-time displays, viewable by a driver, of the images captured by the at least one video camera, and

a video processor configured to process the video signal, in response to detecting that the vehicle is reversing and turning in a turn direction, by performing;

automatically digitally adjusting the video signal of images that is captured with the FoV, to cause images encoded in the video signal, which are displayed on at least one of the one or more real-time displays, to rotate horizontally in the turn direction.

2. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wide angle horizontal FoV is divided into a left-hand sub-FoV (LH), a right hand sub-FoV (RH) and a center sub-FoV.

3. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the vehicle is reversing and turning in a particular direction, a boundary between the center sub-FoV and a subsidiary FoV on the side of the vehicle in which the vehicle is reversing is shifted towards that side of the vehicle.

4. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a region of the one or more real-time displays displaying the center sub-FoV is elongated at the expense of at least one other region of the one or more real-time displays when the vehicle is reversing and turning in said particular direction.

5. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 4, wherein subsidiary fields of view narrow when the vehicle moves forwardly.

6. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 5, wherein subsidiary fields become progressively narrower as a speed of the vehicle increases.

7. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the wide angle horizontal FoV of the video camera is at least 135 degrees.

8. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a vertical FoV of the at least one video camera is at least 70 degrees.

9. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said at least one video camera comprises multiple cameras, and wherein the wide angle horizontal field of view is derived from said multiple cameras.

10. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 3, wherein subsidiary fields of view narrow when the vehicle moves forwardly.

11. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the subsidiary fields of view become progressively narrower as a speed of the vehicle increases.

12. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the wide angle horizontal FoV of the at least one video camera is at least 135 degrees.

13. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a vertical FoV of the at least one video camera is at least 70 degrees.

14. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one video camera comprises multiple cameras, and wherein the wide angle horizontal field of view is derived from said multiple cameras.

15. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein subsidiary fields of view narrow when the vehicle moves forwardly.

16. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the subsidiary fields of view become progressively narrower as a speed of the vehicle increases.

17. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wide angle horizontal FoV of the at least one video camera is at least 135 degrees.

18. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein a vertical FoV of the at least one video camera is at least 70 degrees.

19. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least one video camera comprises multiple cameras, and wherein the wide angle horizontal field of view is derived from said multiple cameras.

20. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein subsidiary fields of view narrow when the vehicle moves forwardly.

21. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the subsidiary fields of view become progressively narrower as a speed of the vehicle increases.

22. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wide angle horizontal FoV of the at least one video camera is at least 135 degrees.

23. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vertical FoV of the at least one video camera is at least 70 degrees.

24. A rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one video camera comprises multiple cameras, and wherein the wide angle horizontal field of view is derived from said multiple cameras.

25. The rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is mounted on the rear of the vehicle.

26. The rearview imaging system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one camera is mounted within a housing of the vehicle.