Rear view mirror simulation

• US 9,238,434 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents), Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents), Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Eder, Oliver, Linsenmaier, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS, TYLER B
• Application Number:
  US13/090,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20110254957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/004 outside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8046 for replacing a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/047 Fisheye or wide-angle transformations
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/61 the noise originating only from the lens unit, e.g. flare, shading, vignetting or "cos4"

Abstract

The invention relates to an exterior mirror simulation with image data recording and a display of the recorded and improved data for the driver of a motor vehicle. The display on a display device shows the data in a way chosen by the driver or the vehicle manufacturer.

Claims

1. A method for exterior mirror simulation, for a motor vehicle having a reverse view switch and driven by a driver, whereby an image of a wide-angle lens having a field of view is recorded, and information collected by pixels of an optical sensor undergoes the following steps:

recording of the image;

determining distortion created by the wide-angle lens;

removing the distortion from the image;

selecting an image rectification algorithm;

applying the image rectification algorithm to subset of the total pixels in the image to create a rectified image;

storing the rectified image;

modifying the rectified image to a distorted rectified image representing the rectified image as viewed through a non-planar mirror only based on visible light information provided by the optical sensor;

displaying the distorted rectified image on a display;

adjusting the display device to an extended display when the motor vehicle is reversing to display more the distorted rectified image; and

enlarging the field of view in the display when the motor vehicle is being reversed.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 including calculating the field of view of the driver prior to the step of applying the rectification algorithm.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the display is pre-calibrated.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the display is pre-calibrated to a type of mirror to be simulated.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 including a step of adjusting the image on the display by selecting a subset of pixels in the display differing from those in the image.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of applying the image rectification algorithm to subset of the total pixels in the image to create a rectified image includes the step of capturing a portion of the motor vehicle in the image to use as a reference for rectification.

7. A rear view assembly for a motor vehicle, said rear view assembly comprising:

a housing fixedly secured to the motor vehicle, said housing including an optical sensor housed therewith and a lens focusing light for said optical sensor to capture a wide-angle image, said optical sensor creating electrical signal representative of the focused light;

a display device operatively connected to said optical sensor for receiving said electrical signal and for displaying the electrical signal as a rear view image for a driver of the motor vehicle such that said rear view image includes distortions created by said lens;

a computational unit to identify and remove the image distortions created by said lens, said computational unit including a distortion simulator to distort the display of the rear view image only based on visible light information provided by said optical sensor to create a distorted display image such that the distorted display image appears to be created by a non-planar mirror; and

a reverse view switch to adjust said display device to an extended display after the image distortions have been removed from the rear view image and the display distortions have been added to the rear view image to create an extended distorted display image when the motor vehicle is and enlarging the field of view in the display when the motor vehicle is being reversed.

8. A rear view assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein the distorted display image on said display device simulates a convex exterior mirror.

9. A rear view assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein the distorted display image on said display device simulates an aspherical exterior mirror.

10. A rear view assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein the distorted display image on said display device simulates an exterior mirror with additional lens.

11. A rear view assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein the distorted display image on said display device simulates an adjustment of the view for the driver.

12. A method for exterior mirror simulation, for a motor vehicle having a reverse view switch and driven by a driver, whereby an image of a wide-angle lens having a field of view is recorded, and information collected by pixels of an optical sensor undergoes the following steps:

recording of the image;

determining distortion created by the wide-angle lens;

removing the distortion from the image;

selecting an image rectification algorithm;

applying the image rectification algorithm to subset of the total pixels in the image to create a rectified image;

storing the rectified image;

modifying the rectified image to a distorted rectified image representing the rectified image as viewed through a non-planar mirror only based on visible light information provided by the optical sensor;

displaying the distorted rectified image on a display; and

enlarging the field of view in the display when the motor vehicle is being reversed.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 including calculating the field of view of the driver prior to the step of applying the rectification algorithm.

14. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein the display is pre-calibrated.

15. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein the display is pre-calibrated to a type of mirror to be simulated.

16. A method as set forth in claim 12 including a step of adjusting the image on the display by selecting a subset of pixels in the display differing from those in the image.