System and method for monitoring the surrounding area of a vehicle

• US 20040075544A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Janssen, Holger
• Granted Patent: US 7,362,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle (10), having sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34) for detecting characteristics of the surroundings and means (36) for processing the detected information. The sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34) are optical sensors, at least two sensors (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) are provided, the sensors (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34) operate in the wide-angle range, and the means (36) for processing the detected information deliver spatial information. The present invention also relates to a method of monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle (10), comprising

sensors (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34) for detecting characteristics of the surroundings;

and

means (36) for processing the detected information, wherein

the sensors (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34) are optical sensors;

at least two sensors (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) are provided;

the sensors (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34) operate in the wide-angle range; and

the means (36) for processing the detected information deliver spatial information.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensors has a fisheye lens system.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the sensors (18, 20) has a lens system for detecting a visual angle of 360°

, in particular a parabolic lens system or a parabolic mirror lens system (38).

4. The system as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein additional sensors (26, 28, 30, 32, 34) are provided for detecting additional characteristics of the surroundings, it being possible to supply information concerning the characteristics to the means (36) for processing the detected information.

5. The system as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein additional optical sensors (26, 28, 30, 32, 34) are provided.

6. The system as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the means (36) for processing the detected information have a controller.

7. The system as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the means (36) for processing the detected information deliver this information to a driver information system (40).

8. The system as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the means (36) for processing the detected information deliver this information to an actuator system (42).

9. The system as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein

means (64) for producing light in the infrared spectral range are provided;

and

the light is emitted to the surroundings of the vehicle (10) via the sensor lens system (38).

10. The system as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein an imager chip (46) is provided which is sensitive in the near infrared spectral range.

11. The system as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensors (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) are mounted on the roof (48) of a vehicle (10).

12. The system as recited in one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensors (22, 24) have an unobstructed visual field in the side region of the vehicle (10).

13. A method for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle (10), comprising the following steps:

detection of characteristics of the surroundings; and

processing of the detected information, wherein

the characteristics are optically detected;

at least two sensors (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) are provided for detecting the characteristics;

the sensors (14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24) operate in the wide-angle range; and

the means for processing the detected information deliver spatial information.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein at least one of the sensors has a fisheye lens system.

15. The method as recited in claim 13 or 14, wherein at least one of the sensors (18, 20) has a lens system for detecting a visual angle of 360°

, in particular a parabolic lens system or a parabolic mirror lens system.

16. The method as recited in one of claims 13 through 15, wherein additional sensors (26, 28, 30, 32, 34) are provided for detecting additional characteristics of the surroundings, the information concerning the characteristics being supplied to the means (36) for processing the detected information.

17. The method as recited in one of claims 13 through 16, wherein additional optical sensors (26, 28, 30, 32, 34) are provided.

18. The method as recited in one of claims 13 through 17, wherein the detected information is processed in a controller (36).

19. The method as recited in one of claims 13 through 18, wherein the processed, detected information is output to a driver information system (40).

20. The method as recited in one of claims 13 through 19, wherein the processed, detected information is output to an actuator system (42).

21. The method as recited in one of claims 13 through 20, wherein

light in the infrared spectral range is produced;

and

the light is emitted to the surroundings of the vehicle (10) via the sensor lens system (38).