Generating an Image of the Surroundings of an Articulated Vehicle

• US 20150286878A1
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: MOLIN, Hans M., KUEHNLE, Andreas U., NEMETH, Huba, BOON, Cathy L., GYORI, Marton Gabor
• Application Number:
  US14/247,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20150286878A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/607 from a bird's eye viewpoint
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/022 by means of tv-camera scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/10 Image acquisition document image scanning and transmission H04N1/00; control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/16 using multiple overlapping images; Image stitching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• 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 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating an image of the surroundings of an articulated vehicle are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a processor determines a relative position between a first vehicle of an articulated vehicle and a second vehicle of the articulated vehicle; receives a first image from a first camera arranged on the first vehicle and a second image from a second camera arranged on the second vehicle; and combines the first image and the second image based on the relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle to generate a combined image of surroundings of the articulated vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a processor, a relative position between a first vehicle of an articulated vehicle and a second vehicle of the articulated vehicle;

receiving, by the processor, a first image from a first camera arranged on the first vehicle and a second image from a second camera arranged on the second vehicle; and

combining, by the processor, the first image and the second image based on the relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle to generate a combined image of surroundings of the articulated vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is determined based on an angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle, and

the angle is measured by an angular sensor arranged on the articulated vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is determined based on a first motion of the first vehicle and a second motion of the second vehicle,

the first motion is measured by at least one first sensor arranged on the first vehicle, and

the second motion is measured by at least one second sensor arranged on the second vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first motion and the second motion are used to determine an angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein each of the first motion and the second motion comprises at least one of a vehicle speed, a wheel speed, a yaw rate, or an acceleration.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is determined by detecting at least one feature of the second vehicle that appears in at least two images from the first camera, or

the relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is determined by detecting at least one feature of the first vehicle that appears in at least two images from the second camera.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a first one of the images from the first camera is acquired when an angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is zero, and a second one of the images from the first camera is acquired when the angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is non-zero.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle is determined continuously.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first image and the second image are combined by rotating the first image and the second image with respect to each other, based on an angle between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first image and the second image are transformed into ground plane images before rotating the first image and the second image.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising superimposing information from an active sensing system on the combined image, wherein components of the active sensing system are arranged on at least one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the components comprise at least one of ultrasonic sensors or radar sensors.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the information is color-coded to indicate a type and a relevance of objects detected by the active sensing system.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying the combined image and a forward-view image, wherein the forward-view image is acquired by a forward-facing camera arranged on the first vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the combined image is a birds-eye view image of the surroundings of the articulated vehicle.

16. A system comprising:

a first camera arranged on a first vehicle of an articulated vehicle;

a second camera arranged on a second vehicle of the articulated vehicle;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor comprising;

position determining logic that determines a relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle;

image receiving logic that receives a first image from the first camera and a second image from the second camera; and

image combination logic that combines the first image and the second image based on the relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle to generate a combined image of surroundings of the articulated vehicle.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

determining a relative position between a first vehicle of an articulated vehicle and a second vehicle of the articulated vehicle;

receiving images from a first camera arranged on the first vehicle and a second camera arranged on the second vehicle; and

combining the first image and the second image based on the relative position between the first vehicle and the second vehicle to generate a combined image of surroundings of the articulated vehicle.