IMAGING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE

• US 20140152778A1
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ihlenburg, Joern, Pflug, Goerg, Gieseke, Achim
• Granted Patent: US 10,793,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• 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 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/602 with an adjustable viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye 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: G06T 15/205 Image-based rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects

Abstract

A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at the vehicle and a display screen disposed in the vehicle. A processing system is operable to process captured image data and to combine and/or manipulate captured image data to provide a three-dimensional representation of the exterior scene for display at the display screen. The processing system is operable to process the captured image data in accordance with a curved surface model, and is operable to process the image data to provide the three-dimensional representation as if seen by a virtual observer from a first virtual viewing point exterior of the vehicle having a first viewing direction. The processing system is operable to adjust the curved surface model when displaying the three-dimensional representation from a second virtual viewing point exterior of the vehicle having a second viewing direction to provide enhanced display of the images.

Claims

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

a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at the vehicle, each having a respective exterior field of view and each capturing respective image data;

a display screen disposed in the vehicle and operable to display images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle, wherein said display screen is operable to display images derived from image data captured by said imaging sensors;

a processing system operable to process image data captured by said imaging sensors and to at least one of combine and manipulate image data captured by said imaging sensors to provide a three-dimensional representation of the exterior scene for display at said display screen;

wherein said processing system is operable to process said captured image data in accordance with a curved surface model;

wherein said processing system is operable to process said captured image data to provide the three-dimensional representation as if seen by a virtual observer from a first virtual viewing point exterior of the vehicle having a first viewing direction; and

wherein said processing system is operable to adjust said curved surface model when displaying the three-dimensional representation from a second virtual viewing point exterior of the vehicle having a second viewing direction to provide enhanced display of the images as if viewed from the second virtual viewing point.

2. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said first virtual viewing point is generally above the vehicle and said first viewing direction is substantially horizontal and said curved surface model has substantially curved surfaces around the vehicle, and wherein said second virtual viewing point is generally above the vehicle and said second viewing direction is vertically downward towards the top of the vehicle, and wherein said processing system is operable to adjust said curved surface model to have substantially planar surfaces for displaying the three-dimensional representation from said second virtual viewing point.

3. The vision system of claim 2, wherein a surface curvature of said curved surface model is adjusted by said processing system depending on a vertical (y) component of said second virtual viewing direction.

4. The vision system of claim 3, wherein said dependency of said vertical (y) component of said second virtual viewing direction is linear.

5. The vision system of claim 3, wherein said dependency of said vertical (y) component of said second virtual viewing direction is exponential.

6. The vision system of claim 2, wherein a curve characteristic of said surface curvature of said curved surface model is given by an at least partially continuous function.

7. The vision system of claim 6, wherein said at least partially continuous function has one substantially static area and at least one substantially exponential area.

8. The vision system of claim 6, wherein said at least partially continuous function has one substantially static area and at least one substantially cosine area.

9. The vision system of claim 6, wherein said at least partially continuous function has one substantially static area and at least one substantially polynomial area.

10. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said display comprises a display screen disposed in one of (i) an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle and (ii) a head unit assembly of the vehicle.

11. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said display screen comprises a video display screen operable to display video images captured by a portion of said imaging sensors.

12. The vision system of claim 11, wherein said display screen comprises a video mirror display screen and wherein video information displayed by said display screen is viewable through a transflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element of an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

13. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at the vehicle and having exterior fields of view, said imaging sensors capturing image data;

a display screen for displaying images derived from said captured image data;

a processing system that is operable to store raw image data in a main memory device to reduce an amount of data to be moved to the memory device; and

wherein said processing system accesses and processes blocks of data and wherein said processing of said blocks of data comprises at least one of (a) de-mosaic processing of said image data to convert to RGB, YUV or YCrCb color space, (b) visibility enhancement processing and (c) merging of image data from two or more of said imaging sensors.

14. The vision system of claim 13, wherein said processing of said blocks of data comprises visibility enhancement processing and wherein said visibility enhancement processing comprises at least one of (a) gamma correction, (b) tone mapping, (c) color correction, (d) white balance correction or brightness, (e) contrast, (f) saturation correction and (g) exposure correction.

19. The vision system of claim 13, wherein said processing of said blocks of data comprises de-mosaic processing of said image data to convert to RGB, YUV or YCrCb color space.

20. The vision system of claim 13, wherein said processing of said blocks of data comprises merging of image data from two or more of said imaging sensors.

15. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at the vehicle and having exterior fields of view, said imaging sensors capturing image data;

a display screen for displaying images derived from said captured image data;

a processing system that is operable to transform image data to produce a view of the exterior area surrounding the vehicle, and wherein said processing system is operable to select a portion of said transformed image data for transmitting to said display screen for displaying images at said display screen; and

wherein, responsive to an indication that information outside of the selected portion of said transformed image data is to be displayed on said display screen, said processing system selects another portion of said image data and transmits said another portion of said image data for displaying images at said display screen.

16. The vision system of claim 15, wherein said vision system provides for reduced bandwidth requirements by transmitting only data appropriate for providing the selected image display.

17. The vision system of claim 15, wherein a subset of captured image data is transmitted by each of said imaging sensors and processed by said processing system.

18. The vision system of claim 17, wherein said processing system is operable to set a resolution of subsets of captured image data and wherein at least one subset of captured image data is transmitted at a lower resolution as compared to others of said subsets of captured image data.