Method for operating a rearview camera system of a motor vehicle after detection of a headlight flasher, rearview camera system and motor vehicle

• US 9,815,408 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Bonhoure, Patrick, Kuoch, Siav Kuong
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US15/101,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20160375827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 340933, 340937, 340901, 340905, 340435, 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/005 using a video camera
• 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 2300/80 characterised by the intended use of the viewing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8046 for replacing a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a rearview camera system (2) of a motor vehicle (1), in which a sequence of images (15) of an environmental region (9) behind the motor vehicle (1) is provided by means of an image capturing device (3) of the rearview camera system (2) and the sequence of the images (15) is displayed on a display (10), wherein a headlight flasher (14) of a vehicle (13) located in the environmental region (9) is detected by the rearview camera system (2) and due to the detection of the headlight flasher (14), a warning signal (17) separate from the images (15) is generated, by which the detected headlight flasher (14) is signaled to the driver of the motor vehicle (1).

Claims

1. A method for operating a rearview camera system of a motor vehicle, comprising:

providing, by an image capturing device of the rearview camera system, a sequence of images of an environmental region behind the motor vehicle;

displaying the sequence of the images on a display;

detecting, by the rearview camera system, a headlight flasher of a vehicle located in the environmental region; and

based on the detection of the headlight flasher, generating a warning signal by which the detected headlight flasher is signaled to the driver of the motor vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle is formed free of exterior mirrors and/or free of an interior mirror and the rear view camera system is formed as a virtual mirror.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the headlight flasher is detected by the rearview camera system based on the images.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein saturated pixels of the images are detected by the rearview camera system, and the detection of the headlight flasher is effected based on the saturated pixels.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

deteiinining a saturation level of the saturated pixels; and

adjusting an intensity of the warning signal depending on the determined saturation level.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the warning signal is output by means of an output device separate from the display.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the output device is an illumination device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the warning signal is output by the display.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the warning signal is output in at least a partial region of the display that is backlit by a background illumination device of the display.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more positions of a headlight flasher is determined in one or more of the images based on one or more positions of the saturated pixels, by the rearview camera system.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the partial region of the display is determined depending on the one or more positions of the headlight flasher in the images.

12. A rearview camera system for a motor vehicle, wherein the rearview camera system is adapted to perform a method as claimed in claim 1.

13. A motor vehicle with a rearview camera system according to claim 12.