Method for Graphically Representing the Surroundings of a Motor Vehicle

• US 20080100614A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Augst, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/62 Semi-transparency

Abstract

In a method for graphically representing the surroundings of a motor vehicle, whereby graphical elements, which serve to assist the driver in interpreting the spatial information, contained in the scene image, are superimposed on a scene image, which represents a three dimensional surrounding scene of the surroundings of the motor vehicle and which is out two dimensionally or three dimensionally to the driver of the motor vehicle, the graphical elements are at least partially configured and arranged in the scene image such that they embody in the surrounding scene at least one virtual boundary object, which has a three dimensional spatial shape and which exhibits at least one reference surface that delimits a free space, which can be attained by the motor vehicle without the risk of a collision, from an obstacle space, which can be attained only with the risk of a collision.

Claims

1. A method for graphically representing surroundings of a motor vehicle using a scene image, which represents a three-dimensional surrounding scene of the surroundings of the motor vehicle and which is output two dimensionally or three dimensionally to a user of the motor vehicle, the method comprising the acts:

superimposing graphical elements on the scene image, the graphical elements serving to assist the user in interpreting spatial information contained in the scene image;

at least partially configuring and arranging the graphical elements in the scene image such that the graphical elements embody in the surrounding scene at least one virtual boundary object, which has a three dimensional spatial shape and which exhibits at least one reference surface delimiting a free space attainable by the motor vehicle without risk of a collision from an obstacle space attainable by the motor vehicle only with the risk of a collision.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the graphical elements are configured and arranged in the scene image such that the delimitation by way of the at least one reference surface is substantially continuous in a horizontal direction.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the graphical elements embodying the at least one virtual boundary object are at least partially configured to be semi-transparent.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the graphical elements embodying the at least one virtual boundary object are at least partially configured to be semi-transparent.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one virtual boundary object is depicted proportionally or overproportionally perspectively at least one of scaled and distorted.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one virtual boundary object is depicted proportionally or overproportionally perspectively at least one of scaled and distorted.

7. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one virtual boundary object is depicted proportionally or overproportionally perspectively at least one of scaled and distorted.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the graphical elements in the scene image comprise at least one of:

a configuration and arrangement such that the at least one virtual boundary object exhibits a surface, which faces the free space and is arranged essentially vertically in the surrounding scene; and

a configuration and arrangement such that the at least one virtual boundary object exhibits a slight spatial expansion in a direction orthogonal to the reference surface.

9. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the graphical elements in the scene image comprise at least one of:

a configuration and arrangement such that the at least one virtual boundary object exhibits a surface, which faces the free space and is arranged essentially vertically in the surrounding scene; and

a configuration and arrangement such that the at least one virtual boundary object exhibits a slight spatial expansion in a direction orthogonal to the reference surface.

10. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the graphical elements in the scene image comprise at least one of:

a configuration and arrangement such that the at least one virtual boundary object exhibits a surface, which faces the free space and is arranged essentially vertically in the surrounding scene; and

a configuration and arrangement such that the at least one virtual boundary object exhibits a slight spatial expansion in a direction orthogonal to the reference surface.

11. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the graphical elements in the scene image comprise at least one of:

a configuration and arrangement such that the at least one virtual boundary object exhibits a surface, which faces the free space and is arranged essentially vertically in the surrounding scene; and

a configuration and arrangement such that the at least one virtual boundary object exhibits a slight spatial expansion in a direction orthogonal to the reference surface.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reference surface of the at least one boundary object is chosen essentially adjacent to the plane of travel.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of a color and color distribution of the graphical elements, embodying the at least one virtual boundary object, is chosen as a function of a distance between a section of the at least one virtual boundary object that embodies the respective graphical element or a portion thereof and a reference point, a reference line or a reference surface of the motor vehicle.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one reference surface of the at least one virtual boundary object is defined at least partly as a linear, piece-by-piece linear, or non-linear interpolation between a limited quantity of support points or support lines at a known distance from a reference point, a reference line or a reference surface of the motor vehicle.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one reference surface of the at least one virtual boundary object is defined at least partly as a linear, piece-by-piece linear, or non-linear interpolation between a limited quantity of support points or support lines at a known distance from a reference point, a reference line or a reference surface of the motor vehicle.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one of the following is provided:

the support lines are in essence vertical in the surrounding scene; and

the interpolation is based on characteristics of a sensor system that is used for determining the distance.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the height or a height profile of the at least one virtual boundary object and/or the slope or the course of the slope of the at least one reference surface of the at least one boundary object is determined as a function of the properties of the obstacles.

18. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the height or a height profile of the at least one virtual boundary object and/or the slope or the course of the slope of the at least one reference surface of the at least one boundary object is determined as a function of the properties of the obstacles.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one reference surface of the at least one boundary object is calculated on the basis of an obstruction map and/or a geometric model of recognized obstacles.

20. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one reference surface of the at least one boundary object is calculated on the basis of an obstruction map and/or a geometric model of recognized obstacles.