AROUND VIEW MONITORING APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20160034768A1
• Filed: 11/11/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LEE, Seong soo
• Granted Patent: US 9,864,915 B2
• 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 1/27 providing all-round vision, e.g. using omnidirectional cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/102 using 360 degree surveillance camera system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30264 Parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/586 of parking space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

An around-view monitoring (AVM) apparatus including a camera module for obtaining a plurality of video images from around a vehicle; a display unit for displaying an around-view video image; and a control unit for composing the plurality of video images to generate an around-view video image, detecting a first parking line and a second parking line from the around-view video image, tracking the detected first and second parking lines, and generating an imaginary parking line when any one of the first and second parking lines is not tracked to control the display unit to output the around-view video image.

Claims

1. An around-view monitoring (AVM) apparatus, comprising:

a camera module configured to obtain a plurality of video images from around a vehicle;

a display unit configured to display an around-view video image; and

a control unit configured to compose the plurality of video images to generate an around-view video image, detect a first parking line and a second parking line from the around-view video image, track the detected first and second parking lines, and generate an imaginary parking line when any one of the first and second parking lines is not tracked to control the display unit to output the around-view video image.

2. The AVM apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store a look-up table,

wherein the control unit is configured to generate the around-view video image using the look-up table.

3. The AVM apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises:

a video composing unit configured to compose the plurality of video images to generate an around-view video image;

a detecting unit configured to detect a first parking line and a second parking line from the around-view video image;

a tracking unit configured to track the first parking line and the second parking line; and

a predicting unit configured to generate an imaginary parking line when one of the first and second parking lines is not tracked.

4. The AVM apparatus of claim 3, wherein the detecting unit comprises:

a video converting unit configured to convert the around-view video image into a grayscale video image;

a top hat filter unit configured to extract a plurality of feature points using an illumination deviation of the grayscale video image; and

a parking line recognizing unit configured to extract line components for the plurality of feature points to recognize the first and second parking lines.

5. The AVM apparatus of claim 3, wherein the detecting unit comprises an inter-line interval determining unit configured to determine an inter-line interval of the first and second parking lines.

6. The AVM apparatus of claim 3, wherein the predicting unit comprises:

a parking line generating unit which, when any one of the first and second parking lines is not tracked, is configured to generate an imaginary parking line which is not tracked; and

a video applying unit configured to apply the imaginary parking line generated by the parking line generating unit to the around-view video image.

7. The AVM apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the detecting unit comprises an inter-line interval determining unit configured to determine an inter-line interval between the first and second parking lines; and

the predicting unit is configured to predict the first parking line based on the second parking line and the inter-line interval when the first parking line is not tracked.

8. The AVM apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the detecting unit comprises;

an inter-line interval determining unit configured to determine an inter-line interval between the first and second parking lines; and

the predicting unit is configured to predict the second parking line based on the first parking line and the inter-line interval when the second parking line is not tracked.

9. The AVM apparatus of claim 3, wherein the tracking unit is configured to track the first and second parking lines based on the difference of angles or distances between first and second parking lines in a previous video image and a present video image.

10. The AVM apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the camera module comprises;

a first camera disposed on the front side of the vehicle and configured to obtain a front surrounding video image of the vehicle;

a second camera disposed on the rear side of the vehicle and configured to obtain a rear surrounding video image of the vehicle;

a third camera disposed on the left side of the vehicle and configured to obtain a video image from around the left side of the vehicle; and

a fourth camera disposed at the right side of the vehicle and configured to obtain a video image from around the right side of the vehicle.

11. The AVM apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises an audio video navigation (AVN) module, which is mounted on the vehicle.

12. A vehicle comprising an around-view monitoring (AVM) apparatus, the AVM apparatus comprising:

a camera module configured to obtain a plurality of video images from around the vehicle;

a display unit configured to display an around-view video image; and

a control unit configured to compose the plurality of video images to generate an around-view video image, detect a first parking line and a second parking line from the around-view video image, track the detected first and second parking lines, and generate an imaginary parking line when any one of the first and second parking lines is not tracked to control the display unit to output the around-view video image.

13. An operating method of an around-view monitoring (AVM) apparatus, comprising:

obtaining a plurality of video images from around a vehicle;

generating an around-view video image by composing the video images;

detecting a first parking line and a second parking line from the around-view video image;

tracking the first and second parking lines;

predicting an imaginary parking line when one of the first and second parking lines is not tracked; and

displaying an AVM image comprising the imaginary parking line.

14. The operating method of claim 13, wherein the generating comprises:

generating the around-view video image using a look-up table stored in a memory.

15. The operating method of claim 13, wherein the detecting comprises:

converting the around-view video image into a grayscale video image;

extracting a plurality of feature points using an illumination deviation of the grayscale video image; and

extracting line components for the plurality of feature points to recognize the first and second parking lines.

16. The operating method of claim 13, wherein the detecting further comprises determining an inter-line interval of the first and second parking lines.

17. The operating method of claim 13, wherein the predicting comprises:

generating an imaginary parking line which is not tracked, when one of the first and second parking lines is not tracked; and

applying the generated imaginary parking line to the around-view video image.

18. The operating method of claim 13, wherein:

the detecting comprises determining an inter-line interval between the first and second parking lines; and

the predicting comprises predicting the first parking line based on the second parking line and the inter-line interval when the first parking line is not tracked.

19. The operating method of claim 13, wherein:

the detecting comprises determining an inter-line interval between the first and second parking lines; and

the predicting comprises predicting the second parking line based on the first parking line and the inter-line interval when the second parking line is not tracked.

20. The operating method of claim 13, wherein the tracking comprises tracking the first and second parking lines based on a difference of angles or a difference of distances between the first and second parking lines in a previous video image and a present video image.