Motor Vehicle Having a Wheel-View Camera and Method for Controlling a Wheel-View Camera System

• US 20090143967A1
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen Of America (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Stoschek, Arne, Lee, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/119
• 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 1/25 to the sides of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/60 characterised by monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior scenes from a transformed perspective
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8033 for pedestrian protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking

Abstract

A motor vehicle has a wheel-view camera with a wide-angle lens and an image sensor. The wheel-view camera is mounted in the housing of a side view mirror and points in a downward direction such that the wheel-view camera captures a front wheel. An image processing unit is operatively connected to the wheel-view camera unit for receiving image data from the wheel-view camera. The image processing unit is configured to process the image data such that the image processing unit performs a wide-angle lens correction, an image rotation and a viewpoint conversion. A display unit is operatively connected to the image processing unit. The display unit receives processed image data from the image processing unit and displays an image of the front wheel.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body;

front wheels;

a wheel-view camera with a wide-angle lens and an image sensor, said wheel-view camera being mounted on said vehicle body and pointing in a downward direction such that said wheel-view camera captures one of said front wheels;

an image processing unit operatively connected to said wheel-view camera for receiving image data from said wheel-view camera, said image processing unit being configured to process the image data such that said image processing unit performs a wide-angle lens correction, an image rotation and a viewpoint conversion; and

a display unit operatively connected to said image processing unit, said display unit receiving processed image data from said image processing unit and displaying an image of said one of said front wheels.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, including:

a control unit operatively connected to said image processing unit;

vehicle sensors operatively connected to said control unit, said vehicle sensors providing vehicle sensor data to said control unit; and

said control unit controlling said image processing unit in dependence on the vehicle sensor data.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein:

said vehicle sensors include a steering angle sensor for providing steering angle data to said control unit; and

said control unit controls said image processing unit in dependence on the steering angle data such that said display unit displays a relatively smaller portion of a side of said vehicle body in case of a relatively smaller steering angle and such that said display unit displays a relatively larger portion of a side of said vehicle body in case of a relatively larger steering angle.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein:

said vehicle sensors include a steering angle sensor for providing steering angle data to said control unit;

said control unit controls said image processing unit in dependence on said steering angle data such that said display unit displays a close-up view of said one of said front wheels in case of a relatively smaller steering angle and such that said display unit displays a wide-angle view in case of a relatively larger steering angle.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein:

said vehicle sensors include a vehicle speed sensor for providing vehicle speed data to said control unit; and

said control unit controlling said image processing unit in dependence on the vehicle speed data such that said display unit displays a close-up view of said one of said front wheels in case of a relatively smaller vehicle speed and such that said display unit displays a wide-angle view in case of a relatively larger vehicle speed.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said wheel-view camera is mounted on said vehicle body on a driver-opposite side of said vehicle body.

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

said vehicle body includes a side view mirror having a housing; and

said wheel-view camera is mounted in said housing of said side view mirror.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said image processing unit performs a viewpoint conversion such that said display unit displays an image having a virtual viewpoint positioned at a given distance away from said side view mirror and looking down toward said one of said front wheels.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

said wheel-view camera is a first wheel-view camera;

a second wheel-view camera is mounted on said vehicle body, said first and said second wheel-view camera are mounted on opposite sides of said vehicle body; and

said display unit has a split screen for simultaneously displaying an image of a left one and a right one of said front wheels.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, including a digital data storage device operatively connected to said image processing unit for storing image data.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, including:

a control unit operatively connected to said image processing unit; and

said control unit being configured to evaluate image data in order to monitor road lane markings and to generate a lane departure warning signal.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, including:

a control unit operatively connected to said image processing unit;

said control unit being configured to evaluate image data in order to monitor a presence of nearby vehicles; and

said control unit generating a lane change warning signal if a lane change maneuver is determined to be unsafe.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, including:

a control unit operatively connected to said image processing unit;

a steering wheel operatively connected to said control unit;

said control unit being configured to evaluate image data in order to monitor road lane markings and to generate a heading control signal; and

said steering wheel being provided with a torque in dependence on the heading control signal.

14. A method for controlling a wheel-view camera system, the method which comprises:

providing a wheel-view camera having a wide-angle lens, the wheel-view camera being mounted on a body of a vehicle and pointing in a downward direction such that the wheel-view camera captures a front wheel of the vehicle;

processing image data from the wheel-view camera by performing a wide-angle lens correction, an image rotation and a viewpoint conversion;

transmitting processed image data to a display unit provided in the vehicle; and

displaying, with the display unit, an image of the front wheel of the vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 14, which comprises processing image data from the wheel-view camera in dependence on steering angle data such that the display unit displays a relatively smaller portion of a side of the body of the vehicle in case of a relatively smaller steering angle and such that the display unit displays a relatively larger portion of a side of the body of the vehicle in case of a relatively larger steering angle.

16. The method according to claim 14, which comprises processing image data from the wheel-view camera in dependence on steering angle data such that the display unit displays a close-up view of the front wheel in case of a relatively smaller steering angle and such that said display unit displays a wide-angle view in case of a relatively larger steering angle.

17. The method according to claim 14, which comprises processing image data from the wheel-view camera in dependence on vehicle speed data such that the display unit displays a close-up view of the front wheel in case of a relatively smaller vehicle speed and such that the display unit displays a wide-angle view in case of a relatively larger vehicle speed.

18. The method according to claim 14, which comprises processing image data from the wheel-view camera by performing a viewpoint conversion such that the display unit displays an image having a virtual viewpoint positioned at a given distance away from a side view mirror of the vehicle and looking down toward the front wheel of the vehicle.

19. The method according to claim 14, which comprises:

providing a further wheel-view camera, the wheel-view camera and the further wheel-view camera being mounted on opposite sides of the body of the vehicle; and

simultaneously displaying an image of both front wheels of the vehicle on a split screen of the display unit.

20. The method according to claim 14, which comprises storing image data from the wheel-view camera on a digital data storage device provided in the vehicle.