Adaptive surrounding view monitoring apparatus and method thereof

• US 8,823,796 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Shen, Hsin-Liang, Cheng, Kuo-Hsiang, Chang, Yen-Shu, Tuan, Tsung-Tyng
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US13/157,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20120249791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148
• US Class Current: 348/148
• 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 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/605 the adjustment being automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An adaptive surrounding view monitoring apparatus and a method thereof are disclosed, in which the apparatus uses a steerable camera set to take horizontal images while sending the horizontal images to a control unit where they are combined into an image of 180-degree or 360-degree surrounding view. It is noted that the surrounding view image maybe an image of front surrounding view, an image of rear surrounding view or an image of ambient surrounding view relating to a vehicle, and using that, visual blind spot of a driver driving the vehicle can be eliminated and the field of vision is widened, and thereby, the probability of accident occurring is reduced.

Claims

1. An adaptive surrounding view monitoring apparatus, comprising:

a steerable camera set;

a control unit, electrically connected to the steerable camera set;

a display unit, electrically connected to the control unit; and

a mode switch, electrically connected to the control unit,

wherein the control unit comprises an image input element electrically connected to the steerable camera set, and the image input element converts analog signals received from the steerable camera set into digital signals;

wherein the steerable camera set includes four groups of cameras, which are a first steerable camera group, a second steerable camera group, a third steerable camera group and a fourth steerable camera group;

wherein the mode switch is configured to receive an input directly from a driver to change the mode of the mode switch;

wherein when the mode switch is situated in the front surrounding view mode, a camera control element is provided and used for controlling micro process units and motor modules in cameras belonging to a first steerable camera group, a second steerable camera group and a third steerable camera group, for enabling the image sensors of the cameras in the first steerable camera group, the second steerable camera group and the third steerable camera group to be orientated adequately for capturing images, while providing the captured images to an image processing element through an image input element where they are distorted, aligned and mosaicked into the image of 180-degree surrounding view to the front of the vehicle to the display unit through an image output element;

wherein when the mode switch is situated in the rear surrounding view mode, a camera control element is provided and used for controlling micro process units and motor modules in cameras belonging to a second steerable camera group, a third steerable camera group and a fourth steerable camera group, for enabling the image sensors of the cameras in the second steerable camera group, the third steerable camera group and the fourth steerable camera group to be orientated adequately for capturing images, while providing the captured images to an image processing element through an image input element where they are distorted, aligned and mosaicked into the image of 180-degree surrounding view to the rear of the vehicle to the display unit through an image output element; and

wherein when the mode switch is situated in the ambient surrounding view mode, a camera control element is provided and used for controlling micro process units and motor modules in cameras belonging to a first steerable camera group, a second steerable camera group, a third steerable camera group and a fourth steerable camera group, for enabling the image sensors of the cameras in the first steerable camera group, the second steerable camera group, the third steerable camera group and the fourth steerable camera group to be orientated adequately for capturing images, while providing the captured images to an image processing element through an image input element where they are distorted, aligned and mosaicked into the image of 360-degree surrounding view to the ambient environment of the vehicle to the display unit through an image output element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the steerable camera set is composed of a plurality of steerable cameras, each comprising:

an image sensor;

a motor module, connected to the image sensor; and

a micro process unit, electrically connected to the motor module.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the horizontal field of view of each steerable camera is between 30 degrees and 210 degrees.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit further comprises:

an image processing element;

a camera control element, electrically connected to the micro process unit of each steerable camera in the steerable camera set for controlling the steerable cameras, while being electrically connected to the image processing element;

the image input element, electrically connected to the image sensor of each steerable camera in the steerable camera set while being electrically connected to the image processing element;

a signal processing element, being electrically connected to the image processing element;

a memory element, being electrically connected to the image processing element; and

an image output element, being electrically connected to the image processing element.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control unit further comprises:

an image database, being electrically connected to the image processing element.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical connection is enabled by a means selected from the group consisting of:

a wired means and a wireless means.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mode switch has the following modes embedded therein for selection, which are a front surrounding view mode, a rear surrounding view mode and an ambient surrounding view mode.

8. An adaptive surrounding view monitoring method, comprising the steps of:

making an evaluation to determine whether a moving speed of a vehicle is smaller than a threshold value;

if so, enabling a control unit to be situated in an activation state before proceeding to the next step;

making an evaluation to determine whether the vehicle is issuing a reverse (R) gear signal;

if so, processing an operation for identifying in which mode a mode switch is situated, wherein the mode switch is configured to receive an input directly from a driver to change the mode of the mode switch;

processing an operation for outing a front surrounding view image relating to the front of the vehicle to a display unit for displaying, if the mode switch is identified to be situated in a front surrounding view mode;

processing an operation for outing a rear surrounding view image relating to the rear of the vehicle to a display unit for displaying, if the mode switch is identified to be situated in a rear surrounding view mode; and

processing an operation for outing an ambient surrounding view image relating to the ambient environment of the vehicle to a display unit for displaying, if the mode switch is identified to be situated in an ambient surrounding view mode,

wherein when the mode switch is situated in the front surrounding view mode, a camera control element is provided and used for controlling micro process units and motor modules in cameras belonging to a first steerable camera group, a second steerable camera group and a third steerable camera group, for enabling the image sensors of the cameras in the first steerable camera group, the second steerable camera group and the third steerable camera group to be orientated adequately for capturing images, while providing the captured images to an image processing element through an image input element where they are distorted, aligned and mosaicked into the image of 180-degree surrounding view to the front of the vehicle to the display unit through an image output element;

wherein when the mode switch is situated in the rear surrounding view mode, a camera control element is provided and used for controlling micro process units and motor modules in cameras belonging to a second steerable camera group, a third steerable camera group and a fourth steerable camera group, for enabling the image sensors of the cameras in the second steerable camera group, the third steerable camera group and the fourth steerable camera group to be orientated adequately for capturing images, while providing the captured images to an image processing element through an image input element where they are distorted, aligned and mosaicked into the image of 180-degree surrounding view to the rear of the vehicle to the display unit through an image output element; and

wherein when the mode switch is situated in the ambient surrounding view mode, a camera control element is provided and used for controlling micro process units and motor modules in cameras belonging to a first steerable camera group, a second steerable camera group, a third steerable camera group and a fourth steerable camera group, for enabling the image sensors of the cameras in the first steerable camera group, the second steerable camera group, the third steerable camera group and the fourth steerable camera group to be orientated adequately for capturing images, while providing the captured images to an image processing element through an image input element where they are distorted, aligned and mosaicked into the image of 360-degree surrounding view to the ambient environment of the vehicle to the display unit through an image output element.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein in the step of determining whether the vehicle is issuing the reverse (R) gear signal;

if there is no such reverse gear signal being issued, a step for determining whether the vehicle is issuing a signal selected from the group consisting of;

a left-turn signal and a right-turn signal is being performed, and if so, the operation for identifying in which mode the mode switch is situated is being enabled, and thereafter, if the mode switch is identified to be situated in the front surrounding view mode, the operation for outing the front surrounding view image relating to the front of the vehicle to the display unit for displaying is enable;

if the mode switch is identified to be situated in the rear surrounding view mode, the operation for outing the rear surrounding view image relating to the rear of the vehicle to the display unit for displaying is being enabled; and

if the mode switch is identified to be situated in the ambient surrounding view mode, the operation for outing the ambient surrounding view image relating to the ambient environment of the vehicle to the display unit for displaying is being enabled.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein in the step of determining whether the vehicle is issuing a signal selected from the group consisting of:

a left-turn signal and a right-turn signal, if there in no such left-turn signal or right-turn signal being issued, the operation for identifying in which mode the mode switch is situated is being enabled, and thereafter, if the mode switch is identified to be situated in the front surrounding view mode, the operation for outing the front surrounding view image relating to the front of the vehicle to the display unit for displaying is enable;

if the mode switch is identified to be situated in the rear surrounding view mode, the operation for outing the rear surrounding view image relating to the rear of the vehicle to the display unit for displaying is being enabled; and

if the mode switch is identified to be situated in the ambient surrounding view mode, the operation for outing the ambient surrounding view image relating to the ambient environment of the vehicle to the display unit for displaying is being enabled.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the threshold value is a defined value relating to the moving speed of the vehicle that is adjustable.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein in the step of determining whether the moving speed of the vehicle is smaller than the threshold value, if the moving speed is larger than the threshold value, the control is enabled to be situated in a standby state.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the front surrounding view image relating to the front of the vehicle is substantially an image of 180-degree surrounding view to the front of the vehicle;

the rear surrounding view image relating to the rear of the vehicle is substantially an image of 180-degree surrounding view to the rear of the vehicle; and

the ambient surrounding view image relating to the ambient environment of the vehicle is an image of 360-degree surrounding view to the ambient environment of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein in the step of determining whether the moving speed of the vehicle is smaller than the threshold value, the cameras belonging to the first steerable camera group are disposed at the front of the vehicle, the cameras belonging to the second steerable camera group and the third steerable camera group are respectively disposed at the two sides of the vehicle;

and the cameras belonging to the fourth steerable camera group are disposed at the rear of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein in the step of determining whether the moving speed of the vehicle is smaller than the threshold value, the control unit, the display unit and the mode switch are arranged inside the frame of the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the mode switch and the display unit are arranged at positions proximate to a driver of the vehicle.