Parking assistance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12071073-B2
Application number	US-202017593954-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2020
Priority date	Apr 2, 2019
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

The exemplary embodiments relate to a parking assistance system for a vehicle, designed to present surroundings of the vehicle. The parking assistance system can include at least one camera designed to record at least one image. The parking assistance system may use a grid structure to present the surroundings of the vehicle for a user. Additionally, the parking assistance system may have an image evaluation unit designed to determine the relative position and the orientation of another vehicle depicted in the image. Additionally, the image evaluation unit may be designed to adapt a grid structure on the basis of the determined orientation of the other vehicle, with the image being projected onto the adapted grid structure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A parking assistance system for a vehicle, designed to present surroundings of the vehicle, having:
at least one camera configured to record at least one image,
wherein the parking assistance system uses a grid structure to present the surroundings of the vehicle for a user, and
an image evaluation unit having an image processor and an input connected to an output of the at least one camera, configured:
to determine an orientation of another vehicle depicted in the at least one image,
to adapt the grid structure on the basis of the determined orientation of the other vehicle, and
to project the at least one image onto the adapted grid structure,

wherein the grid structure comprises a geometrical form and the image evaluation unit is configured to adapt the geometrical form, by at least one of bending or rotating, to the orientation of the other vehicles,
wherein the grid structure additionally comprises a generic vehicle model, and
wherein the image evaluation unit is configured to adapt the generic vehicle model, by at least one of scaling, movement or rotation of the generic vehicle model within the geometrical form, to the orientation of the other vehicle, resulting in each of the geometrical form and the generic vehicle model being adapted.

2. The parking assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of bending or rotating comprises bending to the orientation of the other vehicle.

3. The parking assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the image evaluation unit for determining the orientation of the other vehicle is configured:
to recognize a bottom surface in the at least one image,
to identify at least two wheels of the other vehicle in the at least one image,
to determine a circumferential contour of the wheels in each case,
to form an intersection between the bottom surface and the circumferential contour in each case, by determining a point on the circumferential contour of the wheel closest to the camera.

4. The parking assistance system according to claim 3 , wherein the image evaluation unit is further configured to perform a plausibility check of at least one of the bottom surface, the wheels, the circumferential contour, the intersections or the orientation of the other vehicle.

5. The parking assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the image evaluation unit is configured to establish at least one of a front region or a rear region of the other vehicle, and to orientate the grid structure on the basis of the at least one of the front region or the rear region.

6. A method for presenting the surroundings of a vehicle, comprising:
recording an image of the surroundings of the vehicle with a camera,
presenting the surroundings of the vehicle using a grid structure,
recognizing, by an image evaluation unit comprising an image processor and an input connected to an output of the camera, a bottom surface in the image,
identifying, by the image evaluation unit comprising the image processor, at least two wheels of another vehicle in the image,
determining, by the image evaluation unit comprising the image processor, a circumferential contour for each of the at least two wheels,
forming, by the image evaluation unit comprising the image processor, an intersection between the bottom surface and the circumferential contour by establishing determining a point on the circumferential contour of the wheel closest to the camera,
determining, by the image evaluation unit comprising the image processor, an orientation of the other vehicle depicted in the image on the basis of the intersection,
adapting, by the image evaluation unit comprising the image processor, the grid structure on the basis of the orientation of the other vehicle, and
projecting, by the image evaluation unit comprising the image processor, the image onto the adapted grid structure.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
configuring a geometrical form,
modifying the geometrical form on the basis of the orientation of the other vehicle in order to configure the adapted grid structure.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
forming a generic vehicle model,
positioning the generic vehicle model in the geometrical form,
adjusting the generic vehicle model by at least one of scaling, movement or rotation in the geometrical form, on the basis of the orientation of the other vehicle in order to configure the adapted grid structure, resulting in each of the geometrical form and the generic vehicle model being adapted based on the orientation of the other vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the geometrical form comprises a hemisphere.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein modifying the geometrical form comprises at least one of rotating or bending the geometrical form.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one of rotating or bending the geometrical form comprises bending the geometrical form.

12. A program unit stored in non-transitory memory and which, when run in a parking assistance system, instructs the parking assistance system to perform the method according to claim 6 .

13. The parking assistance system according to claim 7 , wherein the geometrical form comprises a hemisphere.

14. A parking assistance system for a vehicle, configured to present surroundings of the vehicle, the system comprising:
at least one camera configured to record at least one image,
wherein the parking assistance system uses a grid structure to present the surroundings of the vehicle for a user, and
an image evaluation unit having an input connected to an output of the at least one camera, configured to:
determine an orientation of another vehicle depicted in the at least one image,
adapt the grid structure on the basis of the determined orientation of the other vehicle, and
to project the at least one image onto the adapted grid structure,

wherein the grid structure comprises a geometrical form and a generic vehicle model, wherein the image evaluation unit is configured to adapt the generic vehicle model by at least one of scaling, movement or rotation of the generic vehicle model within the geometrical form to the orientation of the other vehicle, resulting in each of the geometrical form and the generic vehicle model being adapted.

15. The parking assistance system of claim 14 , wherein the image evaluation unit determines the orientation of the other vehicle by being configured to:
recognize a bottom surface in the at least one image,
identify at least two wheels of the other vehicle in the at least one image,
establish a circumferential contour of the wheels in each case, and
form an intersection between the bottom surface and the circumferential contour in each case, by establishing a point on the circumferential contour of the wheel closest to the camera.

16. The parking assistance system of claim 14 , wherein the image evaluation unit adapts the geometrical form by bending the geometrical form based on the orientation of the other vehicle.

Assignees

• Conti Temic Microelectronic Gmbh

Inventors

• Eich Markus
• Gloger Charlotte
• Kittmann Frank
• Friebe Markus

Classifications

• G06T2207/30264

  Parking · CPC title

• B60R2300/806

  for aiding parking · CPC title

• B60R11/04

  Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• G06V10/44

  Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components · CPC title

• G06V20/586

  of parking space · CPC title