Rear vision system with eye-tracking

• US 10,525,890 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Festerling, Jr., Dennis D., Rycenga, Brock R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Eileen M
• Application Number:
  US15/854,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20180178729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• 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 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/103 using camera systems provided with artificial illumination device, e.g. IR light source
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/602 with an adjustable viewpoint
• 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 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions

Abstract

A rear vision system for a vehicle includes a camera mounted with the vehicle and capturing a field of view rearward of the vehicle, a rearview mirror including a display substrate thereon, and an image sensor directed toward an interior of the vehicle and configured to capture image data of an object. The system further includes a controller in communication with the camera and receiving a first video image of the first size corresponding with the field of view, with the image sensor to determine a position of the object within the image data, and with the display substrate to present a portion of the first video image thereon of a size less than the first size. The portion of the first video image is selected to correspond with an expected portion of the field of view based on the determined position of the object.

Claims

1. A rear vision system for a vehicle, comprising:

a camera mounted with the vehicle and capturing a field of view of a first area rearward of the vehicle;

a rearview mirror including a display substrate thereon;

an image sensor directed toward an interior of the vehicle and configured to capture image data of an object; and

a controller;

in communication with the camera and receiving a first video image of the first area corresponding with the field of view;

in communication with the image sensor to determine a position of the object within the image data; and

in communication with the display substrate to present a sub-area of the first image on the display substrate, the sub-area being smaller than the first area and selected to simulate a reflected image from the field of view to the object by the substrate based on the determined position of the object, remaining portions of the first area outside of the sub-area not being presented on the display.

2. The rear vision system of claim 1, wherein the object is a pair of eyes of a driver of the vehicle.

3. The rear vision system of claim 1, wherein the sub-area of the first video image is selected to correspond with an estimated sub-area of the field of view based on the determined position of the object by panning the first image with respect to the sub-area based on a movement of the object from a baseline position.

4. The rear vision system of claim 3, wherein the object is panned based on a predetermined scale to correlate with a scale between an estimated distance from the rearview mirror to the object and an estimated distance from the rearview mirror to a theoretical image plane to the rear of the vehicle.

5. The rear vision system of claim 4, wherein the estimated distance from the rearview mirror to the object is fixed.

6. The rear vision system of claim 4, wherein a baseline position of the first image with respect to the portion can be adjusted by a user.

7. The rear vision system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is included within the rearview mirror.

8. The rear vision system of claim 1, further including a light source directed toward an interior of the vehicle and configured for illuminating a portion of the object.

9. The rear vision system of claim 8, wherein the light source is configured to emit light in a near infrared (NIR) range.

10. The rear vision system of claim 1, wherein the sub-area is scaled to generally match a scale of a theoretical reflected image of the field of view by the substrate to the object.

11. A rear vision system for a vehicle, comprising:

a camera mounted with the vehicle and capturing a field of view of a first area rearward of the vehicle;

a display substrate mounted within an interior of the vehicle;

an image sensor directed toward the interior of the vehicle and positioned to capture image data of an object; and

a processor;

in communication with the camera and receiving a first video image of the field of view;

in communication with the image sensor to locate the object within the image data and to determine a position of the object relative to a predetermined two-dimensional coordinate system along a theoretical viewing distance from the substrate; and

in communication with the display substrate to present a sub-area of the first image on the display substrate, the sub-area being smaller than the first area and selected to correlate the position of the object with a two-dimensional coordinate system assigned to the first area based on a scale between the theoretical viewing distance and a predetermined estimated image distance from the display substrate to a theoretical image plane to the rear of the vehicle, remaining portions of the first area outside of the sub-area not being presented on the display.

12. The rear vision system of claim 11, wherein:

the object is a pair of eyes of a driver of the vehicle; and

the sub-area is selected to simulate a reflected image from the field of view to the eyes of the driver by the substrate.

13. The rear vision system of claim 11, wherein the sub-area of the first video image is selected by panning the first image with respect to the sub-area based on a movement of the position of the object from a baseline position within the first two-dimensional coordinate system as a factor of the scale.

14. The rear vision system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined viewing distance is fixed.

15. The rear vision system of claim 13, wherein the baseline position is adjustable by a user.

16. The rear vision system of claim 11, wherein the display substrate and the image sensor are included within a rearview mirror positioned within the interior of the vehicle.

17. The rear vision system of claim 11, further including a light source directed toward an interior of the vehicle and configured for illuminating a portion of the object.

18. The rear vision system of claim 17, wherein the light source is configured to emit light in a near infrared (NIR) range.

19. The rear vision system of claim 11, wherein the sub-area is scaled to generally match a scale of a theoretical reflected image of the field of view by the substrate to the object.

20. A vehicle, comprising:

a camera mounted with the vehicle and capturing a field of view of a first area rearward of the vehicle;

a rearview mirror positioned within an interior of the vehicle and including;

a display substrate mounted within an interior of the vehicle; and

an image sensor directed toward the interior of the vehicle and positioned to capture image data of an object; and

a controller;

in communication with the camera and receiving a first video image of the field of view;

in communication with the image sensor to locate the object within the image data and to determine a position of the object relative to a predetermined two-dimensional coordinate system along a theoretical viewing distance from the substrate; and

in communication with the display substrate to present a sub-area of the first image on the display substrate, the sub-area being smaller than the first area and selected to correlate the position of the position of the object with a two-dimensional coordinate system assigned to the first area based on a scale between the theoretical viewing distance and a predetermined estimated image distance from the rearview mirror to a theoretical image plane to the rear of the vehicle, remaining portions of the first area outside of the sub-area not being presented on the display.