Process and device for improving the visibility in vehicles

• US 20020172400A1
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Gloger, Joachim, Ritter, Werner
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/104
• 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 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/30 providing vision in the non-visible spectrum, e.g. night or infrared vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/106 using night vision cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8053 for bad weather conditions or night vision
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for improving the view in vehicles, in particular at night, bad weather and fog. In the process images of actual traffic scenes are recorded by a camera (2), which is sensitive outside the visible spectrum, and these images are reproduced in the visible spectrum in the vehicle via a display optic (6). According to the invention the type of object which is contained in a traffic scene recorded by the camera (2) is automatically classified according to type, and depending upon the type of the recognized object it is reproduced on the display optic (6) in an intensity and/or color, which corresponds to the intensity and/or color which the associated object typically has by daylight. The process facilitates the recognition by the vehicle operator of images of traffic scenes recorded outside the visible spectrum.

Claims

1. Process for improving the view in vehicles, in particular at night, bad weather and fog, wherein images of actual traffic scenes are recorded by means of a camera which is sensitive outside the visible spectrum, and are reproduced in the visible spectrum in the vehicle by means of a display optic, thereby characterized, that the type of objects contained in the traffic scene recorded by the camera (2) are automatically recognized, and that depending on the type of the recognized object, they are reproduced on a display optic (6) in an intensity and/or color which corresponds to the intensity and/or color which the appropriate object typically has during daylight.

2. Device for improving the view in vehicles, in particular at night, bad weather and fog, the device including a camera sensitive outside the visible spectrum for recording images of actual traffic scenes and a display optic in the vehicle for reproducing the recorded image in the visible spectrum, characterized by a device (8) for recognizing the type of objects contained in the traffic scene recorded by the camera (2), and a device (10, 4) for reproducing the type classified object on the display optic (6) in an intensity and/or color which corresponds to the intensity and/or color which the associated object typically has by daylight.