Distortion and perspective correction of vector projection display

• US 8,564,502 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Cui, Dehua, Seder, Thomas A., Szczerba, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Carolyn R
• Application Number:
  US12/726,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20100253489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/20 Filters polarising elements G02B5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/165 : for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 : for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/167 : Driving aids for lane monitoring, lane changing, e.g. blind spot detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/168 : Driving aids for parking, e.g. acoustic or visual feedback on parking space

Abstract

A method to represent graphical images upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle describing an operational environment for the vehicle includes monitoring data describing critical information in the operational environment for the vehicle, monitoring a location of a viewpoint of an operator of the vehicle, determining a desired graphic to represent the critical information in a viewing space based upon the data and the viewpoint, transforming the desired graphic in the viewing space into a projected graphic in a projection space defined by the surface of the windscreen, transforming the projected graphic in the projection space into patterns of projected light in a projector space, and generating commands to a graphics projection system based upon the patterns of projected light.

Claims

1. Method to represent graphical images upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle describing an operational environment for the vehicle, the method comprising:

monitoring data describing critical information in the operational environment for the vehicle;

monitoring a location of a viewpoint-of an operator of the vehicle;

modeling a desired graphic to represent the critical information in a modeled viewing space based upon the data and the viewpoint, the viewing space defined as a surface of points equidistant from the viewpoint and modeled between the transparent windscreen head up display and the viewpoint;

transforming the desired graphic in the viewing space into a projected graphic in a projection space defined by the surface of the windscreen;

transforming the projected graphic in the projection space into patterns of projected light in a projector space; and

generating commands to a graphics projection system based upon the patterns of projected light.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the projected graphic is a registered graphic based upon the data and the viewpoint.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transforming the desired graphic into the projected graphic comprises:

transforming the desired graphic into an intermediate projected graphic in a virtual display plane located proximately to the windscreen; and

transforming the intermediate projected graphic in the virtual display plane into the projected graphic in the projection space.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired graphic comprises a non-uniform-rational b-spline parametric curve.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired graphic comprises a geometric shape;

and

wherein transforming the desired graphic in the modeled viewing space into the projected graphic in the projection space preserves an appearance of the geometric shape based upon the viewpoint.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the location of the viewpoint of the operator of the vehicle comprises monitoring a head location of the operator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the location of the viewpoint of the operator of the vehicle comprises monitoring an eye location of the operator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the projection space is further defined by an A pillar located proximate the windscreen.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the projection space is further defined by another surface within the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating commands to the graphics projection system is further based upon another projected graphic in another projection space associated with another surface in the vehicle.

11. Method to represent graphical images upon a transparent windscreen head up display of a vehicle describing an operational environment for the vehicle, the method comprising:

performing a first pass computation cycle, comprising;

modeling a viewing space for a desired graphic, the modeled viewing space defined as a surface of points equidistant from the viewpoint and modeled between the transparent windscreen head up display and the viewpoint;

transforming the desired graphic from the modeled viewing space into an intermediate projected graphic in a virtual display plane located proximate the windscreen; and

transforming the intermediate projected graphic in the virtual display plane into a projected graphic in a projection space defined by a surface of the windscreen;

performing a second pass computation cycle, comprising;

transforming the projected graphic in the projection space into patterns of projected light in a projector space; and

generating commands to a graphics projection system based upon the patterns of projected light.

12. System to display graphical images upon a windscreen of a vehicle describing an operational environment for the vehicle, comprising:

the windscreen comprising a transparent windscreen head up display;

a vehicle sensor system monitoring conditions in the operational environment;

an enhanced vision system (EVS) system manager;

monitoring the vehicle sensor system;

determining critical information warranting display upon the windscreen based upon the monitored vehicle sensor system; and

generating display requirements based upon the critical information;

an occupant viewpoint sensing system;

a graphics system;

monitoring the occupant viewpoint sensing system;

monitoring the EVS system manager;

determining a desired graphic to represent the critical information in a modeled viewing space based upon the display requirements and data from the occupant viewpoint sensing system, the modeled viewing space defined as a surface of points equidistant from the viewpoint and modeled between the transparent windscreen head up display and the occupant viewpoint;

transforming the desired graphic in the modeled viewing space into a projected graphic in a projection space defined by a surface of the windscreen;

transforming the projected graphic in the projection space into patterns of projected light in a projector space; and

generating commands to a graphics projection system based upon the patterns of projected light.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein transforming the desired graphic into the projected graphic comprises:

transforming the desired graphic into an intermediate projected graphic in a virtual display plane located proximate the windscreen; and

transforming the intermediate projected graphic in the virtual display plane into the projected graphic in the projection space.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the desired graphic comprises a vector projection.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the desired graphic comprises a non-uniform-rational b-spline parametric curve.