Monitoring of the close proximity around a commercial vehicle

• US 9,232,195 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Lang, Werner, Bauer, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Jr., Howard D
• Application Number:
  US13/983,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20130314539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 348/148
• 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 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8026 in addition to a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A system for capturing and displaying not directly-viewable spaces near a vehicle includes an apparatus for image capturing and an apparatus for image display. The apparatus for image capturing captures at least two arbitrary points Q and R. A ground plane is spanned by the Cartesian coordinates xv and yv, and xv lies in the vehicle middle plane. The display displays an image that includes an image Q′ of the point Q and an image R′ of the point R on a display plane spanned by the Cartesian coordinates xv′ and yv′, with xv′ lying on a reproduction of the vehicle middle plane. A projection QR, xv of the vector QR onto xv and a projection Q′R′, xv′ of a vector Q′R′ onto xv′ have the same direction, and a projection QR, yv of the vector QR onto yv and a projection Q′R′, yv′ of a vector Q′R′ onto yv′ have the same direction.

Claims

1. An electronic viewing system for capturing and displaying a subspace (U) of a not directly-viewable space in the surroundings of a commercial vehicle on a ground plane, including:

an apparatus for image capturing, comprising at least one unit for imaging the subspace (U), and an apparatus, which is disposed in an interior of the vehicle, for image display for displaying a reproduction of the subspace (U), the apparatus for image display including at least one unit for image display,

wherein the apparatus for image capturing captures at least one point set (P) ε

(U), which includes two arbitrary points (Q) and (R),

and wherein the at least one point set (P) results from the cross-section of the ground plane with the subspace (U)

and wherein the ground plane is spanned by Cartesian coordinates xv and yv and wherein xv lies in a vehicle middle longitudinal axis,

wherein the apparatus for image capturing displays an image (P′

) of the point set (P) in, an image plane which includes the image (Q′

) of the point (Q) and the image (R′

) of the point (R)

and wherein the image plane is spanned by Cartesian coordinates xv′ and

yv′

and wherein xv′

lies on the a reproduction of the vehicle middle longitudinal axis in the image plane, wherein

a projection QR, xv of a vector QR on the ground plane onto xv and a projection Q′

R′

, xv′

of a vector Q′

R′

on the image plane onto xv′

have a same first direction, and wherein a projection QR, yv of a vector QR on the ground plane onto yv and a projection Q′

R′

, yv′

of a vector Q′

R′

on the image plane onto yv′

have a same second direction.

2. The electronic viewing system according to claim 1, wherein the commercial vehicle is a truck of class N2 or N3 or a bus of class M2 or M3.

3. The electronic viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the point set (P) describes an area (B1),

wherein (B1) is delimited:

by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge passenger-side at a distance (a₂)≧

4.5 m in a negative yv-direction, and

by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge front at a distance (b)≧

3 m in a positive xv-direction, and

by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge front at a distance (c)≧

0.75 m to the driver eye viewpoint in a negative xv-direction and by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge driver-side at a distance (a₁)≧

1 m in a positive yv-direction.

4. The electronic viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the point set (P) describes an area (B2),

wherein (B2) is delimited:

by the vehicle outer edge passenger-side and by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge passenger-side at a distance (a₂)≧

4.5 m in a negative yv-direction, and p1 by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge front at a distance (c)≦

0.75 m to the driver eye viewpoint in a negative xv-direction and by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge front at a distance (d)≧

30 m to the driver eye viewpoint in a negative xv-direction.

5. The electronic viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the point set (P) describes an area (B3),

wherein (B3) is delimited:

by the vehicle outer edge driver-side, and

by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge driver-side at a distance (a₁)≧

1 m in a positive yv-direction, and

by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge front at a distance (c)≦

0.75 m to the driver eye viewpoint in a negative xv-direction and by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge front at a distance (d)≧

30 m to the driver eye viewpoint in a negative xv-direction.

6. The electronic viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the point set (P) describes an area (B4),

wherein (B4) is delimited:

by the vehicle outer edge rear, and

by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge driver-side at a distance (x₁)≧

0 m in a positive yv-direction, and

by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge passenger-side at a distance (x₂)≧

0 m in a negative yv-direction and

by a parallel to the vehicle outer edge rear at a distance (e)≧

9 m in a negative xv-direction.

7. The electronic viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the point set (P) describes the union of the areas (B1) and (B4).

8. The electronic viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the point set (P) describes the union of the areas (B1) and (B2).

9. The electronic viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the point set (P) describes the union of the areas (B1, B2, B4).

10. The electronic viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the point set (P) describes the union of the areas (B1, B2, B3).

11. The electronic viewing system according to claim 2, wherein the point set (P) describes the union of the areas (B1, B2, B3, B4).

12. The electronic viewing system according to claim 1, wherein the selection of the depicted areas depends on the driving situation.

13. The electronic viewing system according to claim 1,

wherein the unit for capturing is disposed at a height h above the road surface, wherein 1.40 m≦

h≦

3.80 m.

14. A commercial vehicle, including an electronic viewing system according to claim 1.

15. An electronic viewing system for capturing and displaying images of at least one region near a vehicle which at least one region is not directly viewable by a driver of the vehicle sitting in a drivers seat of the vehicle and wherein the vehicle includes a longitudinal center plane perpendicular to a ground plane, the ground plane intersecting the longitudinal center plane at a ground plane line, the system comprising:

a camera for capturing an image of the at least one region including first and second arbitrary points on the ground plane, the first and second arbitrary points being connected by a first vector; and

a display in an interior of the vehicle for displaying an image of the at least one region on an image plane corresponding to the ground plane, the display including an indication of the longitudinal center plane of the vehicle,

wherein the display displays on the image plane a first virtual point corresponding to the first arbitrary point and a second virtual point corresponding to the second arbitrary point and wherein the first virtual point is connected to the second virtual point by a second vector; and

wherein a relationship between the second vector and the indication of the longitudinal center plane of the vehicle is the same as a relationship between the first vector and the ground plane line.

16. The electronic viewing system according to claim 15, wherein the first vector intersects the ground plane line at a first angle, wherein the second vector intersects the indication of the longitudinal center plane at a second angle and wherein the first angle is equal to the second angle.

17. The electronic viewing system according to claim 15, wherein the vehicle comprises a truck or a bus.