Movable carrier auxiliary system and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10960829-B2
Application number	US-201916541548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2019
Priority date	Feb 25, 2019
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A movable carrier auxiliary system includes an environment detecting device including an image capturing module, a storage module, and an operation module. The image capturing module is disposed on a movable carrier for capturing an environment image around the movable carrier. The storage module stores a plurality of image models. A control method thereof includes that the operation module is electrically connected to the image capturing module and the storage module to detect whether the environment image has an image that matches at least one of the image models or not, and to generate a corresponding detection signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A movable carrier auxiliary system, comprising:
an environment detecting device comprising at least one image capturing module, a storage module, and an operation module; wherein the at least one image capturing module is disposed at a movable carrier for capturing an environment image around the movable carrier; the storage module stores a plurality of image models; the operation module is electrically connected to the at least one image capturing module and the storage module to detect whether the environment image has an image that matches at least one of the image models or not, and to generate a corresponding detection signal;
wherein the at least one image capturing module has a lens group; the lens group comprises at least two lenses having refractive power and satisfies:
1.0≤ f/HEP≤ 10.0;

0 deg< HAF≤ 150 deg; and
0.9≤2( ARE/HEP )≤2.0;

wherein f is a focal length of the lens group; HEP is an entrance pupil diameter of the lens group; HAF is a half of a maximum field angle of the lens group; ARE is a profile curve length measured from a start point where an optical axis of the lens group passes through any surface of one of the at least two lenses, along a surface profile of the corresponding lens, and finally to a coordinate point, from which a vertical distance to the optical axis is half of the entrance pupil diameter.

2. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 1 , further comprising a control device which is disposed on the movable carrier and is electrically connected to the operation module and the storage module, wherein the storage module further stores a plurality of action modes corresponding to the image models; when the control device receives the detection signal that the environmental image has an image matching at least one of the image models, the control device controls the movable carrier to operate based on one of the action modes corresponding to the matched image model.

3. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 2 , wherein the control device further detects a distance between the movable carrier and the image matched at least one of the image models, and generate the corresponding detection signal; when the control device receives the detection signal that the distance between the movable carrier and the image is less than a safe distance, the control device controls the movable carrier to operate in one of the action modes that reduce a speed of the movable carrier.

4. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 3 , wherein the environment detecting device comprises two image capturing modules; the operation module detects whether a three-dimensional environment image formed by environment images captured by the two image capturing modules has an image that matches at least one of the image models, and detects a distance between the movable carrier and the image matched at least one of the image models, and generates the corresponding detection signal.

5. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 3 , wherein the environment detecting device further comprises a detection wave transceiver module electrically connected to the operation module; the detection wave transceiver module is adapted to send a detection wave on at least a direction in which the image capturing modules capture the image, and to receive the detection wave which is reflected; the operation module detects a distance between the movable carrier and the image matched at least one of the image models via the detection wave which is reflected, and generates the corresponding detection signal.

6. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 1 , wherein the environment detecting device further comprises a detection wave transceiver module electrically connected to the operation module; the detection wave transceiver module is adapted to send a detection wave on at least a direction in which the image capturing modules capture the image, and to receive the detection wave being reflected; the operation module detects a contour of each of objects within a direction in which the at least one image capturing module captures the image by the detection wave being reflected; the operation module analyzes whether the environmental image has an image that matches at least one of the image models by comparing and matching at least one of the contours of the objects with the image models, and generates the corresponding detection signal.

7. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 5 , wherein the detection wave is selected from an ultrasonic wave, a millimeter wave radar, a lidar, an infrared light, a laser, or a combination of the foregoing.

8. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 6 , wherein the detection wave is selected from an ultrasonic wave, a millimeter wave radar, a lidar, an infrared light, a laser, or a combination of the foregoing.

9. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 1 , further comprising a warning module electrically connected to the operation module for generating a warning message when the operation module determines that the distance between the movable carrier and the image matched at least one of the image models is less than a safe distance.

10. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 9 , further comprising a warning member which is electrically connected to the warning module and is adapted to generate at least one of a corresponding light and a corresponding sound when the warning module sends the warning message.

11. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 9 , further comprising a displaying device electrically connected to the warning module for displaying the warning message.

12. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 11 , wherein the warning message is displayed on the displaying device as an image, a text, or both of the image and the text.

13. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 11 , wherein the displaying device is a vehicle electronic rear-view mirror.

14. The movable carrier auxiliary system of claim 13 , wherein the displaying device comprises:
a first transparent assembly having a first incidence surface and a first exit surface, wherein an image enters the first transparent assembly via the first incidence surface, and is emitted via the first exit surface;
a second transparent assembly disposed on the first exit surface, wherein a gap is formed between the second transparent assembly and the first transparent assembly; the second transparent assembly comprises a second incidence surface and a second exit surface; the image is emitted to the second transparent assembly from the first exit surface and is emitted via the second exit surface;
an electro-optic medium layer disposed in the gap and formed between the first exit surface of the first transparent assembly and the second incidence surface of the second transparent assembly;
at least one transparent electrode disposed between the first transparent assembly and the electro-optic medium layer;
at least one reflective layer, wherein the electro-optic medium layer is disposed between the first transparent assembly and the at least one reflective layer;
at least one transparent conductive layer disposed between the electro-optic medium layer and the at least one reflective layer;
at least one electrical connector electrically connected to the electro-optic medium layer, wherein the at least one electrical connector transmits an electrical energy to the electro-optic medium layer to change a transparency of the electro-optic medium layer; and
at least one control member electrically connected to the at least one electrical connector, wherein when a luminance of the image e

Assignees

• Ability Opto Electronics Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chang Yeong-Ming
• Lai Chien-Hsun
• Liu yao-wei

Classifications

• B60R2300/804

  for lane monitoring · CPC title

• B60R2300/301

  combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision · CPC title

• B60R2300/105

  using multiple cameras · CPC title

• B60R2001/1223

  with sensors or transducers · CPC title

• B60R2300/10

  characterised by the type of camera system used · CPC title