Method and control unit for transmitting data on a current vehicle environment to a headlight control unit of a vehicle

• US 9,381,852 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Foltin, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Yon
• Application Number:
  US14/008,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20140219506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 382/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/056 Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

A method for transmitting data on a current vehicle environment to a headlight control unit of a vehicle. In this context, the data were taken using a camera, a plausibility check being able to take place via an additional sensor system. The method includes a step of reading in object data concerning at least two objects; the object data representing information on objects, which have been classified in an image taken by the camera as an object. Furthermore, the method includes a step for forming object group data from the read-in object data of the at least two objects, the forming taking place while using at least two different parameters, which were provided from image data of the image taken by the camera. Finally, the method includes a step of transmitting the object group data as data on a current vehicle environment to the headlight control unit.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

taking, by a camera, an image of an environment of a vehicle;

classifying objects in the image;

based on at least two different parameters of the image, forming an object group including at least two of the classified objects;

reading in object data representing information about the at least two classified objects;

forming object group data from the read-in object data of the at least two classified objects; and

transmitting the object group data as vehicle environment data to a headlight control unit of the vehicle.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the parameters represent at least one of:

i) information with regard to at least one of brightness, color and sharpness of an image area, assigned to the object, of the image taken by the camera, ii) information with regard to at least one of a position, a distance, and a motion of one of the objects with regard to the camera or with regard to the second of the at least two objects, and iii) a duration of a presence of the object in images of the camera back over time.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least two of the classified objects includes at least three of the classified objects.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least two different parameters include at least three different parameters.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object group data includes information on at least one of a position, a shape, a motion, an age, a brightness, a color, and a number of objects.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the object group data includes information of a size of an image section in which the at least two objects were detected in the image.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

based on at least two different parameters of the image, forming a second object group including at least two others of the classified objects;

reading in object data representing information about the at least two others of the classified objects;

forming second object group data from the read-in object data of the at least two others of the classified objects; and

transmitting the second object group data to the headlight control unit.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein object data of a common one of the classified objects is used for forming both the object group data and the second object group data.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the forming object group data step, object group data are formed which correspond to a predefined scenario about the vehicle that is known to the headlight control unit, and is ahead of the vehicle.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the headlight control unit is situated independently of and spatially separated from a data preparation unit in its own housing, the data preparation being developed to carry out the reading step and the forming step, the object group data being transmitted via a communications bus of the vehicle.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the forming object group data step is responsive to a request signal of the headlight control unit, the request signal having information on at least one of a selection of the parameters and a situation specification.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein, in the forming step, additional object group data are formed from the read-in object data of the at least two classified objects, the forming of the additional object group data taking place while using at least two additional parameters that differ from the parameters, which were provided by image data of the image taken by the camera, and in the transmitting step, the additional object group data are transmitted to the headlight control unit.

13. A control unit of a vehicle, the control unit comprising:

processing circuitry that is communicatively coupled to output of a camera system, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to;

classify objects in an image of an environment of the vehicle taken by the camera system;

based on at least two different parameters of the image, form an object group including at least two of the classified objects;

read in object data representing information about the at least two classified objects;

form object group data from the read-in object data of the at least two classified objects; and

transmit the object group data as vehicle environment data to the headlight control unit of the vehicle.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which is stored program code, which is executable by a control unit of a vehicle and, when executed by the control unit, is configured to cause the control unit to perform a method, the method comprising:

classifying objects in an image taken by a camera;

based on at least two different parameters of the image, forming an object group including at least two of the classified objects;

reading in object data representing information about the at least two classified objects;

forming object group data from the read-in object data of the at least two classified objects; and

transmitting the object group data as vehicle environment data to the headlight control unit of the vehicle.