System for displaying views of vehicle and its surroundings

• US 8,446,268 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Hyundai Motor Japan R&D Center Incorporated, Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Hyundai Motor Japan R&D Center Incorporated, Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Hideshiro, Fujie
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/576,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20100259372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/433, 340/901, 340/932.2, 348/148
• US Class Current: 340/435
• 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 2300/607 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: B60R 2300/8093 for obstacle warning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for displaying views of a vehicle and its surroundings. Preferably, the system for displaying views of a vehicle and its surroundings includes one or more cameras for photographing a vehicle and its surroundings, obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle outside the vehicle, a memory unit for previously storing alternative views corresponding to the obstacle, and a view processing unit for creating a bird'"'"'s eye view from a virtual viewpoint outside the vehicle based on views acquired by the cameras. When the obstacle detection means detects the obstacle, the view processing unit secures the obstacle, selects an alternative view corresponding to the secured obstacle, reads the alternative view from the memory unit, changes a direction and inclination of the selected alternative view in line with the virtual viewpoint, and then overlaps the changed alternative view on the bird'"'"'s eye view.

Claims

1. A system for displaying views of a vehicle and its surroundings comprising:

one or more cameras for photographing a vehicle and its surroundings;

obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle outside the vehicle;

a memory unit for storing alternative views corresponding to the obstacle; and

a view processing unit for creating a bird'"'"'s eye view from a virtual viewpoint outside the vehicle based on views acquired by the cameras;

wherein when the obstacle detection means detects the obstacle, the view processing unit pauses a screen on which the obstacle appears, selects an alternative view corresponding to the paused obstacle, reads the alternative view from the memory unit, changes a direction and inclination of the selected alternative view in line with the virtual viewpoint, and then overlaps the changed alternative view on the bird'"'"'s eye view.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the view processing unit measures a size of the paused obstacle, detects whether a motion of the paused obstacle is present, and then selects a moving image or still image alternative view corresponding to the measured size.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores a plurality of still image alternative views and/or moving image alternative views of different sizes for a same type of obstacle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the view processing unit, prior to the overlapping of the alternative view, eliminates a view of the obstacle and performs compensation using information about neighboring pixels of the view of the obstacle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the view processing unit, after the overlapping of the alternative view, inserts a gradation effect view around the overlapped alternative view.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the view processing unit, if the size of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection means is greater than a predetermined value, does not overlap the alternative view.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the view processing unit overlaps the alternative view along a rectilinear line that connects a center of the vehicle with a location of the obstacle on a road surface.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory unit stores a plurality of models for a same type of obstacle depending on distances from the vehicle, the models including models for cases where part of the obstacle falls within a photographable range of the cameras, and the view processing unit compares a view of the detected obstacle with the models, pauses the obstacle, and then selects an overall alternative view of the obstacle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the view processing unit, before the overlapping of the alternative view, reads the alternative view from the memory unit, wherein the alternative view is previously associated with a gradation effect view.

10. A system for displaying views of a vehicle and its surroundings comprising:

one or more cameras configured to photograph a vehicle and its surroundings;

obstacle detection means configured to detect an obstacle outside the vehicle;

a memory unit; and

a view processing unit,

wherein when the obstacle detection means detects the obstacle, the view processing unit pauses the obstacle on a screen, selects an alternative view corresponding to the paused obstacle, reads the alternative view from the memory unit, changes a direction and inclination of the selected alternative view in line with a virtual viewpoint, and then overlaps the changed alternative view on a bird'"'"'s eye view.

11. The system for displaying views of a vehicle and its surroundings of claim 10, wherein the memory unit is configured to store alternative views corresponding to the obstacle.

12. The system for displaying views of a vehicle and its surroundings of claim 10, wherein the view processing unit is configured to create a bird'"'"'s eye view from a virtual viewpoint outside the vehicle based on views acquired by the cameras.