Detecting an extended side view mirror

• US 9,449,390 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2015
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ghneim, Maher
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woldemariam, Aklilu
• Application Number:
  US14/715,963
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 382/104, 382/106, 382/117, 382/291, 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/472, 340/901, 340/903
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/007 specially adapted for covering the lateral blind spot not covered by the usual rear-view mirror
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/074 for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/081 avoiding blind spots, e.g. by using a side-by-side association of mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/254 involving subtraction of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/50 by performing operations within image blocks; by using histograms, e.g. histogram of oriented gradients [HoG]; by summing image-intensity values; Projection analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/758 Involving statistics of pixels or of feature values, e.g. histogram matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A position of a mirror in or on a vehicle can be detected by receiving a first image and a second image, and comparing the first image to the second image. The comparison is used for determining whether the vehicle mirror has moved from one of an extended state and a non-extended state.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a position of a vehicle mirror, comprising:

an electronic control unit (ECU) including a processor and a memory;

instructions stored in the memory and executable and by the processor, such that the ECU is programmed to;

receive a first image from a camera on a vehicle mirror when the position of the mirror is known to be a first position;

identify characteristics of the first image that indicate the first position of the mirror;

receive a second image of the vehicle mirror;

compare the characteristics of the first image to characteristics of the second image; and

determine, based on whether the comparison indicates a predetermined difference between the characteristics of the first image and the characteristics of the second image, whether the vehicle mirror has moved from the first position to a second position;

wherein the second position is one of extended and non-extended.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the ECU is further programmed to send a non-extended message to a vehicle head unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the ECU is further programmed to instruct the vehicle mirror to extend.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a camera communicatively coupled to the ECU.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the camera is configured to provide at least one of the first image and the second image.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the camera is positioned on the vehicle mirror.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the camera is an infrared camera.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein an imaging processing module is incorporated into the camera.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined difference is a predetermined threshold.

10. A method, comprising steps performed by a processor, the steps including:

receiving a first image from a camera on a vehicle mirror when the position of the mirror is known to be a first position;

identifying characteristics of the first image that indicate the first position of the mirror;

receiving a second image of from the vehicle mirror camera after the vehicle mirror is instructed to extend;

comparing characteristics of the first image to characteristics of the second image; and

determining, based on whether the comparison indicates a predetermined difference between the characteristics of the first image and the characteristics of the second image, whether the vehicle mirror has moved from the first position to a second position;

wherein the second position is one of extended and non-extended.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining, based on the comparison, whether the first image and the second image differ by more than a predetermined threshold.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending a message via a vehicle communications bus upon determining that the vehicle mirror has moved from an non-extended state to an extended state or an extended state to a non-extended state.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining if the vehicle is on.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising instructing the vehicle mirror to extend.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing an image of a fully extended vehicle mirror.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing the first image by a camera.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing the second image by the camera.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the camera is positioned on the vehicle mirror.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the camera is an infrared camera.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein an imaging processor is incorporated into the camera.