Vehicular vision system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11572017-B2
Application number	US-202217650882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2022
Priority date	Jun 21, 2013
Publication date	Feb 7, 2023
Grant date	Feb 7, 2023

Abstract

A vehicular vision system includes a camera disposed at a side of a body of a vehicle equipped and having a field of view exterior and at least rearward of the vehicle. The camera includes a lens and a two-dimensional imaging array sensor. The lens of the camera has a center axis region and a peripheral region around the center axis region. The center axis of the lens is laterally offset from the center of the array of the imaging array sensor. A video display displays video images derived from image data captured by the camera, the displayed video images having (i) less distortion at displayed image portions representative of a region laterally closer to the side of the body of the vehicle and (ii) greater distortion at displayed image portions representative of a region further laterally outboard from the side of the body of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular vision system, the vehicular vision system comprising:
a camera disposed at a side of a body of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular vision system and having a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle and at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
wherein the camera comprises a lens and a two-dimensional imaging array sensor having at least one million photosensing elements arranged in an array of rows of photosensing elements and columns of photosensing elements;
wherein the array of the imaging array sensor of the camera has a center;
wherein the lens of the camera comprises a center axis region and a peripheral region around the center axis region;
wherein a center axis of the lens passes through the center axis region of the lens;
wherein the center axis of the lens is laterally offset at least 100 columns of photosensing elements from the center of the array of the imaging array sensor;
wherein the camera captures image data;
wherein image data captured by the camera that is associated with light imaged at the imaging array sensor of the camera that has passed through the center axis region of the lens of the camera has less distortion than image data captured by the camera that is associated with light imaged at the imaging array sensor of the camera that has passed through the peripheral region of the lens of the camera;
wherein, with the camera disposed at the side of the body of the equipped vehicle, the center axis of the lens of the camera is laterally offset from the center of the array of the imaging array sensor of the camera towards an inboard side of the array of the imaging array sensor of the camera that is laterally closer to the side of the body of the equipped vehicle than the center of the array of the imaging array sensor of the camera;
a video display disposed in the equipped vehicle and viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver is normally operating the equipped vehicle, wherein the video display is operable to display video images derived from image data captured by the camera;
wherein the displayed video images derived from image data captured by the camera have (i) less distortion at displayed image portions representative of a region laterally closer to the side of the body of the vehicle and (ii) greater distortion at displayed image portions representative of a region further laterally outboard from the side of the body of the vehicle; and
a head tracking system operable to determine movement of the driver's head, and wherein, responsive to a determined movement of the driver's head, the vehicular vision system adjusts the rearward view displayed to the driver of the equipped vehicle by the video display.

2. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the array of the imaging array sensor has a width dimension and a height dimension, and wherein the center axis of the lens is offset along the width dimension of the array of the imaging array sensor.

3. The vehicular vision system of claim 2 , wherein the center axis of the lens is offset by at least a quarter of the width dimension of the array of the imaging array sensor.

4. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , comprising a filtering element that reduces stray light entering the lens from interfering with the imaging array sensor.

5. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the lens exhibits f-theta distortion.

6. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the array of the imaging array sensor has a higher density of photosensing elements at a first portion of the array of the imaging array sensor and a lower density of photosensing elements at a second portion of the array of the imaging array sensor, and wherein light that passes through the center axis region of the lens is imaged at the first portion of the array of the imaging array sensor.

7. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , comprising an image processor that processes image data captured by the camera, wherein the image processor at least partially corrects distortion in captured image data via processing of captured image data.

8. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the array of the imaging array sensor comprises at least 800 rows of photosensing elements and at least 1200 columns of photosensing elements.

9. The vehicular vision system of claim 8 , wherein the center axis of the lens is laterally offset at least 200 columns of photosensing elements from the center of the array of the imaging array sensor.

10. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the displayed video images are adjustable responsive to actuation of a user input.

11. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the video display is operable to display pseudo three-dimensional image information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

12. The vehicular vision system of claim 11 , wherein the pseudo three-dimensional image information is used to shift the display of nearer objects more than the display of farther objects.

13. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to a determined movement of the driver's head, the vehicular vision system adjusts the displayed video images to provide a wider view display for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

14. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , comprising an image processor that processes image data captured by the camera, wherein the vehicular vision system, responsive to processing of captured image data by the image processor, is operable to determine a position and relative speed of another vehicle that is at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) rearward of the equipped vehicle and (ii) sideward of the equipped vehicle.

15. The vehicular vision system of claim 14 , wherein, at least responsive to the driver of the equipped vehicle initiating a lane change to a traffic lane adjacent to a traffic lane along which the equipped vehicle is traveling, the vehicular vision system generates an overlay at the displayed video images to alert the driver of the equipped vehicle that the adjacent traffic lane is occupied by the determined other vehicle.

16. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein, at least responsive to the driver of the equipped vehicle maneuvering the equipped vehicle to enter a road, the vehicular vision system generates an overlay at the displayed video images to indicate at least one selected from the group consisting (i) presence of another vehicle on the road and (ii) presence of a pedestrian on the road.

17. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the camera is disposed within an exterior rearview mirror assembly at the side of the body of the equipped vehicle.

18. A vehicular vision system, the vehicular vision system comprising:
a camera disposed at a side of a body of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular vision system and having a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle and at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
wherein the camera comprises a lens and a two-dimensional imaging array sensor having at least one million photosensing elements arranged in an array of rows of photosensing elements and columns of photosensing elements;
wherein the array of the imaging array sensor comprises at least 800 rows of photosensing elements and at least 1200 columns of photosensing elements;
wherein the array of the imaging array sensor of the camera has a center;
wherein the lens of the camera comprises a center axis region and a peripheral region around the center axis region;
wherein a ce

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Fürsich Manfred
• Wierich Thomas

Classifications

• H04N7/181

  for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources · CPC title

• H04N13/239

  using two two-dimensional [2D] image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance (H04N13/243 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N23/698

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• B60R2300/8046

  for replacing a rear-view mirror system · CPC title

• B60R2300/20

  characterised by the type of display used · CPC title