VISION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE

• US 20140340510A1
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ihlenburg, Joern, Koppe, Andreas, Gieseke, Achim, Mahmoud, Hossam, Diessner, Horst D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,071,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/118
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A vision system for a vehicle includes multiple cameras disposed at a vehicle each having a field of view exterior of the vehicle. A display device is operable to display, for viewing by a driver of the vehicle, at least one of (a) video images captured by at least some of the cameras and (b) a composite image formed from image data captured by at least some of the cameras. The image data captured by at least some of the cameras is sent to a central video/image processor and the sent image data is substantially unmodified and is as captured by the respective ones of the camera or cameras. At least one of the cameras may have a tunable lens. The camera may provide almost raw image data to the display device and a graphic engine may run as a routine at the display device.

Claims

1. :

A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising;

multiple cameras disposed at a vehicle each having a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

a display device operable to display, for viewing by a driver of the vehicle, at least one of (a) video images derived from image data captured by at least some of said cameras and (b) a composite image formed from image data captured by at least some of said cameras;

wherein image data captured by at least some of said cameras is sent to a central video/image processor and wherein said image data as sent is substantially unmodified and is as captured by the respective ones of said at least some of said cameras; and

wherein at least one of said cameras comprises a tunable lens.

3. :

The vision system of claim 1, wherein said display device is conjuncted to a mobile device, and wherein a graphic engine is running as an application on said mobile device.

4. :

The vision system of claim 1, wherein a control processes image data captured by a rearward viewing camera of said multiple cameras to detect an object to the rear of the subject vehicle, and wherein said control is operable to process image data to determine movement vectors and wherein, responsive to said processing of image data, said control is operable to determine an object of interest in the field of view of said rearward viewing camera.

8. :

The vision system of claim 1, wherein said system is operable to process inputs from at least one of an ultrasound sensor, a radar sensor, an infrared sensor, a Lidar sensor and a Laser sensor.

9. :

The vision system of claim 1, wherein said system receives inputs from at least one non-permanently mounted device, and wherein at least one of (i) said non-permanently mounted device is plugged into a port attached to a bus architecture of the vehicle, (ii) said non-permanently mounted device is wirelessly connected to a bus architecture of the vehicle, (iii) said non-permanently mounted device comprises a mobile phone device and (iv) said non-permanently mounted device comprises a camera.

15. :

The vision system of claim 9, wherein said non-permanently mounted device comprises a camera that is wirelessly linked via a non-permanent wired connected device that receives image data from said camera via a wireless port, and wherein said non-permanent wired connected device comprises a mobile phone device with a wireless interface for transferring image data captured by said camera.

17. :

The vision system of claim 15, wherein said mobile phone device is operable to transfer a graphic engine software container from a remote source via a data channel, and wherein at least one of (i) said graphic engine software container is received by said display device and (ii) said graphic engine software container is received by said vision system.

20. :

The vision system of claim 1, wherein said vision system is operable, responsive to processing of said image data, to provide an alert to the driver of the vehicle.

21. :

The vision system of claim 1, wherein said vision system receives inputs from a mobile phone device, and wherein said vision system delocates the computing load from said camera to at least one of said display device and said mobile phone device.

22. :

The vision system of claim 1, wherein said at least one camera comprises a wafer level camera.

23. :

The vision system of claim 1, comprising a control, wherein said tunable lens comprises a tunable liquid lens, and wherein said control is operable to adjust the focal length of said tunable liquid lens, and wherein, at least in part responsive to adjustment of the focal length of said tunable liquid lens, said vision system determines a distance to an object present in the field of view of the camera having said tunable liquid lens.

2. :

(canceled)

5-7. -7. (canceled)

10-14. -14. (canceled)

16. :

(canceled)

18-19. -19. (canceled)

24. :

(canceled)

25. :

A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising;

multiple cameras disposed at a vehicle each having a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

a display device operable to display, for viewing by a driver of the vehicle, at least one of (a) video images derived from image data captured by at least some of said cameras and (b) a composite image formed from image data captured by at least some of said cameras;

wherein image data captured by at least some of said cameras is sent to a central video/image processor and wherein said image data as sent is substantially unmodified and is as captured by the respective ones of said at least some of said cameras;

wherein at least one of said cameras comprises a tunable lens;

a control operable to adjust the focal length of said tunable lens of said at least one of said cameras; and

wherein, at least in part responsive to adjustment of the focal length of said tunable lens, said vision system determines a distance to an object present in the field of view of the camera having said tunable lens.

26. :

The vision system of claim 25, wherein said control is operable to adjust a viewing direction of said tunable lens.

27. :

The vision system of claim 25, wherein said control processes said image data captured by one of said cameras to detect an object exterior of the subject vehicle, and wherein said control is operable to process image data to determine movement vectors and wherein, responsive to said processing of image data, said control is operable to determine an object of interest in the field of view of said one of said cameras.

28. :

The vision system of claim 25, wherein said system receives inputs from at least one non-permanently mounted device, and wherein at least one of (i) said non-permanently mounted device is plugged into a port attached to a bus architecture of the vehicle, (ii) said non-permanently mounted device is wirelessly connected to a bus architecture of the vehicle, (iii) said non-permanently mounted device comprises a mobile phone device and (iv) said non-permanently mounted device comprises a camera.

29. :

The vision system of claim 28, wherein said non-permanently mounted device comprises a camera that is wirelessly linked via a non-permanent wired connected device that receives image data from said camera via a wireless port, and wherein said non-permanent wired connected device comprises a mobile phone device with a wireless interface for transferring camera image data.

30. :

The vision system of claim 25, wherein said vision system receives inputs from a mobile phone device, and wherein said vision system delocates the computing load from said camera to at least one of said display device and said mobile phone device.

31. :

The vision system of claim 25, wherein said at least one camera comprises a wafer level camera.

32. :

A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising;

multiple cameras disposed at a vehicle each having a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

a display device operable to display, for viewing by a driver of the vehicle, at least one of (a) video images derived from image data captured by at least some of said cameras and (b) a composite image formed from image data captured by at least some of said cameras;

wherein image data captured by at least some of said cameras is sent to a central video/image processor and wherein said image data as sent is substantially unmodified and is as captured by the respective ones of said at least some of said cameras;

wherein at least one of said cameras comprises a tunable lens; and

a control operable to at least one of (i) adjust a focal length of said tunable lens of said at least one of said cameras and (ii) adjust a viewing direction of said tunable lens.

33. :

The vision system of claim 32, wherein, at least in part responsive to adjustment of said tunable lens, said vision system determines a distance to an object present in the field of view of the camera having said tunable lens.