Naked eye 3D video system for backing a vehicle and vehicle including the system

• US 9,272,664 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Zhu, Hao, Yan, Shuanghu, Zhang, Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Luo, Kate
• Application Number:
  US13/668,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20140049602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 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 1/31 providing stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/107 using stereoscopic cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/108 using 'non-standard' camera systems, e.g. camera sensor used for additional purposes i.a. rain sensor, camera sensor split in multiple image areas
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/302 for viewing without the aid of special glasses, i.e. using autostereoscopic displays

Abstract

The present invention discloses a naked eye 3D video system for backing a vehicle and vehicles including the system. The naked eye 3D video system includes: two cameras for being installed on the rear of the vehicle and configured to capture images of the scene behind the vehicle respectively; a processor configured to divide the images captured by the two cameras into image strips in equidistance respectively, and integrate alternatively the divided image strips together into a integrated image in the manner of interleave; and a display device for being installed on the instrument panel of the vehicle, and configured to display the integrated image in the form of three dimensions for a driver to watch with the naked eye. The above naked eye 3D video system for backing a vehicle provided by the present invention can make the driver see clearly any obstacle in the scene behind the vehicle and understand spatial distribution information between the vehicle and the obstacle.

Claims

1. A naked eye 3D video system for backing a vehicle, including:

two cameras for being installed on a rear of the vehicle and configured to capture images of a scene behind the vehicle respectively;

a processor configured to divide the images captured by the two cameras into image strips in equidistance respectively, and integrate alternatively the divided image strips together into integrated images by interleaving;

a display device for being installed on an instrument panel of the vehicle and configured to display the integrated images in a form of three dimensions for a driver to watch with naked eyes; and

a position detector configured to detect a distance between a nearest obstacle behind the vehicle and the vehicle on the basis of the captured images;

wherein the position detector is configured to perform edge detection of the captured images based on a Sobel operator to determine a nearest edge in the captured images, identify a nearest obstacle that belongs to the nearest edge, and calculate a distance between the nearest obstacle and the vehicle based on installation positions and an angle between the cameras.

2. The naked eye 3D video system according to claim 1, wherein the two cameras are 5-9 cm apart in an installed state.

3. The naked eye 3D video system according to claim 1, wherein the two cameras are in bilateral symmetry arrangement with respect to a vertical section of the vehicle that passes through a longitudinal central axis of the vehicle in an installed state.

4. The naked eye 3D video system according to claim 1, wherein the two cameras are at a distance of 40-60 cm from the ground in an installed state, and an optical axis of each of the cameras is located in a vertical section of the vehicle and forms an angle of 10-20 degree downward with a horizontal plane in the installed state.

5. The naked eye 3D video system according to claim 1, wherein the two cameras are arranged on a rear bumper of the vehicle in an installed state.

6. The naked eye 3D video system according to claim 1, wherein the two cameras are wide-angle cameras.

7. The naked eye 3D video system according to claim 1, wherein the captured images are transmitted from the two cameras to the processor via wired or wireless communication.

8. The naked eye 3D video system according to claim 1, wherein the display device includes a plurality of lenticular lenses or a plurality of parallax barriers whose size applies to the integrated images.

9. The naked eye 3D video system according to claim 1,

wherein the display device is also used for displaying alarm signals on the basis of the distance.

10. The naked eye 3D video system according to claim 9, further including:

an audio device configured to send audio alarm signals on the basis of the distance.

11. A vehicle including a naked eye 3D video system for backing the vehicle, the naked eye 3D video system including:

two cameras installed on a rear of the vehicle and configured to capture images of a scene behind the vehicle respectively;

a processor configured to divide the images captured by the two cameras into image strips in equidistance respectively, and integrate alternatively the divided image strips together into integrated images by interleaving;

a display device installed on an instrument panel of the vehicle and configured to display the integrated images in a form of three dimensions for a driver to watch with naked eyes; and

a position detector configured to detect a distance between a nearest obstacle behind the vehicle and the vehicle on the basis of the captured images;

wherein the position detector is configured to perform edge detection of the captured images based on a Sobel operator to determine a nearest edge in the captured images, identify a nearest obstacle that belongs to the nearest edge, and calculate a distance between the nearest obstacle and the vehicle based on installation positions and an angle between the cameras.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the two cameras are 5-9 cm apart.

13. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the two cameras are in bilateral symmetry arrangement with respect to a vertical section of the vehicle that passes through a longitudinal central axis of the vehicle.

14. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the two cameras are at a distance of 40-60 cm from the ground, and an optical axis of each of the cameras is located in a vertical section of the vehicle and forms an angle of 10-20 degree downward with a horizontal plane.

15. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the two cameras are arranged on a rear bumper of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the two cameras are wide-angle cameras.

17. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the captured images are transmitted from the two cameras to the processor via wired or wireless communication.

18. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the display device includes a plurality of lenticular lenses or a plurality of parallax barriers whose size applies to the integrated images.

19. The vehicle according to claim 11,

wherein the display device is also used for displaying alarm signals on the basis of the distance.

20. The vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the naked eye 3D video system further including:

an audio device configured to send audio alarm signals on the basis of the distance.