Method and environment-capture system for producing an environmental image of an entire multi-part vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12469302-B2
Application number	US-202218549358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2022
Priority date	Mar 18, 2021
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A method for producing an environmental image of an entire multi-part vehicle having a tractor vehicle and at least one trailer vehicle includes providing an image capture device including a front camera for capturing a front capture region in front of the tractor vehicle and outputting a front individual image, front lateral cameras for capturing front lateral capture regions and outputting front lateral individual images, back lateral cameras for capturing back lateral capture regions and outputting back lateral individual images, and a rear camera for capturing a back capture region behind the trailer vehicle and outputting a back individual image. The method includes recording the individual images with the cameras, evaluating and/or cropping the individual images such that overlap regions are in each case formed at least between the front lateral individual images and the back lateral individual images, and combining the individual images to form the environmental image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for producing an environmental image of an entire multi-part vehicle having a tractor vehicle and at least one trailer vehicle, the method comprising:
providing an image capture device comprising: a front camera on a front side of the tractor vehicle for capturing a front capture region in front of the tractor vehicle and outputting a front individual image, front lateral cameras on the tractor vehicle for capturing front lateral capture regions and outputting front lateral individual images, a front rear camera provided on the tractor vehicle for capturing a front side of the trailer vehicle, back lateral cameras on the trailer vehicle for capturing back lateral capture regions and outputting back lateral individual images, and a rear camera on a rear region of the trailer vehicle for capturing a back capture region behind the trailer vehicle and outputting a back individual image; recording the individual images with the cameras; evaluating and/or cropping the individual images such that overlap regions are in each case formed at least between the front lateral individual images and the back lateral individual images; and combining the individual images to form the environmental image and/or matching of the individual images in the overlap regions, which represents an environment around the entire vehicle, taking account of an articulation angle of the trailer vehicle relative to the tractor vehicle about an articulation axis disposed forward of at least one axle of the tractor vehicle, wherein the articulation angle is ascertained using an image from the front rear camera of the front side of the trailer vehicle and based on the relative position of the front side of the trailer vehicle relative to the tractor vehicle.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the environmental image of the entire vehicle is combined as a surround view-top view image, or after combining the individual images to form the environmental image of the entire vehicle, a surround view-top view image as a top view of the vehicle environment around the entire vehicle is subsequently formed from the environmental image.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the environmental image of the entire vehicle proceeds in closed fashion peripherally around the entire vehicle and/or
the environment is represented in closed fashion peripherally around the entire vehicle.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the overlap regions are formed between:
the front individual image and the two front lateral individual images of the tractor vehicle, and/or between the back individual image and the back lateral individual images.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the overlap regions are fixed portions of the individual images and/or independent of the articulation angle.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the front lateral cameras are positioned in or on the tractor vehicle such that their lateral front capture regions in each case extend forward beyond the tractor vehicle and backward beyond a rear region of the tractor vehicle backward, and
wherein the back lateral cameras are positioned in or on the trailer vehicle such that their back lateral capture regions extend backward beyond a back rear region of the trailer vehicle and forward beyond a front surface of the trailer vehicle.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the front lateral capture regions extend backward along a lateral region of the tractor vehicle or without a lateral dead space on the trailer vehicle, and the back lateral capture regions extend forward along a lateral region of the trailer vehicle and/or without a dead space on the tractor vehicle, and lateral overlap regions are formed which begin without a dead space on lateral surfaces of the tractor vehicle and of the trailer vehicle.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lateral overlap regions are ascertained from the front lateral individual images and the back lateral individual images depending on the articulation angle,
wherein the articulation angle is further ascertained:
by an articulation angle sensor, and/or
from driving dynamics data, the driving dynamics data including one or more of:
wheel rotational speeds of the tractor vehicle and of the trailer vehicle, a measured yaw rate, a measured transverse acceleration and/or an ascertained steering angle with ascertainment of the temporal profile of the ascertained variables.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the lateral overlap regions are ascertained from the lateral front individual images and the lateral back individual images without knowledge of the articulation angle, and the articulation angle between the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle is subsequently ascertained from the ascertained overlap regions.

10 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the overlap regions are ascertained depending on matching of adjacent left individual images or right individual images by image processing algorithms.

11 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lateral overlap regions are ascertained by comparing temporal sequences of lateral individual images.

12 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the matching of the lateral individual images is ascertained from the individual images and/or from the individual images of the ascertained top views.

13 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein top views are first produced from the individual images and subsequently the environmental image of the entire vehicle is ascertained from the top views.

14 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the environmental image of the entire vehicle represents the environment around the entire vehicle without gaps and/or without a dead space and/or continuously.

15 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the individual images and/or the environmental image of the entire vehicle and/or the surround view-top view image are/is produced with color data for representing captured external objects.

16 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the environmental image of the entire vehicle is formed without including a backwardly directed rear camera of the tractor vehicle and/or without including a front camera of the trailer vehicle provided on the front side of the trailer vehicle.

17 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lateral individual images are trimmed depending on the articulation angle and/or ascertained matching, in order to form suitable overlap regions.

18 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein determining the relative position of the front side of the trailer vehicle and/or of a pattern on the trailer vehicle relative to the tractor vehicle is based on the output of an image processing algorithm that received, as an input, the image, the image being of the front side of the trailer vehicle captured by the front rear camera.

19 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tractor vehicle comprises a forward region and a rearward region, wherein the rearward region comprises the at least one axle, and wherein the front rear camera is provided at a rearward extent of the forward region and backwardly directed to face the rearward region of the tractor vehicle.

20 . The environment-capture system for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1 , the environment-capture system comprising:
a front camera on a front side of a tractor vehicle; a left fr

Assignees

• Zf Cv Systems Europe Bv

Inventors

• Dieckmann Thomas
• Klinger Tobias
• Luelfing Ralph-Carsten
• Werle Tobias

Classifications

• G06T2207/20221

  Image fusion; Image merging · CPC title

• G06T5/50

  using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction · CPC title

• G06V10/761

  Proximity, similarity or dissimilarity measures · CPC title

• B60R2300/802

  for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views · CPC title

• B60R2300/607

  from a bird's eye viewpoint · CPC title