Method and system for monitoring vehicle bottom condition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021261069-A1
Application number	US-202017073825-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 19, 2020
Priority date	Feb 25, 2020
Publication date	Aug 26, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of monitoring a vehicle bottom condition is provided. in which forward, left-side, right-side, and rear images of a vehicle are received from a camera unit of the vehicle, and traveling distance information of the vehicle is received from a sensor unit of the vehicle. The images received from the camera unit based on the traveling distance information received from the sensor unit are stored. A vehicle bottom image is then generated based on the stored image, the generated vehicle bottom image is matched with a surround view monitoring (SVM) image of the vehicle, and the SVM image matched with the vehicle bottom image is output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of monitoring a vehicle bottom condition, comprising:
receiving, by a controller, forward, left-side, right-side, and rear images of a vehicle from a camera unit of the vehicle, and traveling distance information of the vehicle from a sensor unit of the vehicle; storing, by the controller, the images received from the camera unit based on the traveling distance information received from the sensor unit; generating, by the controller, a vehicle bottom image based on the stored image; matching, by the controller, the generated vehicle bottom image with a surround view monitoring (SVM) image of the vehicle; and outputting, by the controller, the SVM image matched with the vehicle bottom image.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the vehicle bottom image in response to driving of the vehicle includes:
generating, by the controller, a first frame of the vehicle bottom image based on the stored image; and after the generating the first frame, combining, by the controller, the forward or rear image with an existing frame based on a traveling distance and storing the vehicle bottom image.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the generating of the first frame of the vehicle bottom image based on the stored image includes:
receiving, by the controller, forward driving or backward driving information of the vehicle; and generating, by the controller, a vehicle bottom image in response to driving of the vehicle.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the generating of the vehicle bottom image in response to driving of the vehicle includes:
when the vehicle travels forward, generating, by the controller, a forward image of the vehicle bottom image by combining forward images of the stored image based on the traveling distance.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the generating of the vehicle bottom image further includes generating, by the controller, a rear image of the vehicle bottom image.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising in response to determining that a size of the combined forward image is the same as sum of an overall length of the vehicle and a size of a first forward image, storing, by the controller, the combined forward image as a first frame of the forward image of the vehicle bottom image.

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the generating of the vehicle bottom image in response to driving of the vehicle includes:
when the vehicle travels backward, generating, by the controller, the vehicle bottom image by combining rear images of the stored image based on the traveling distance.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the generating of the vehicle bottom image further includes generating, by the controller, a rear image of the vehicle bottom image.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising: in response to determining that a size of the combined rear image is the same as an overall length of the vehicle, storing, by the controller, the combined rear image as a first frame of the rear image of the vehicle bottom image.

10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the storing of the vehicle bottom image includes storing, by the controller, each of forward and rear images of the vehicle bottom image, having a size up to twice an overall length of the vehicle.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the matching of the generated vehicle bottom image with the surround view monitoring (SVM) image of the vehicle includes:
comparing and matching, by the controller, the frame stored based on a traveling distance with current left-side and right-side image frames based on left-side and right-side images that are currently displayed on the SVM.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of claim 1 .

13 . A vehicle bottom condition monitoring system, comprising:
a camera unit including a forward camera, a rear camera, a left-side camera, and a right-side camera; a sensor unit configured to measure a traveling distance of a vehicle; a virtual vehicle bottom condition monitoring system configured to:
receive forward, left-side, right-side, and rear images of the vehicle from the camera unit, and traveling distance information of the vehicle from the sensor unit of the vehicle;
store the image received from the camera unit based on the traveling distance information received from the sensor unit;
generate a vehicle bottom image based on the stored image; and
match the generated vehicle bottom image with a surround view monitoring (SVM) image of the vehicle; and
a display unit configured to output the SVM image matched with the vehicle bottom image.

14 . The vehicle bottom condition monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein the virtual vehicle bottom condition monitoring system is configured to generate a first frame of the vehicle bottom image based on the stored image, and combine the forward or rear image with an existing frame based on the traveling distance and stores the vehicle bottom image after generating the first frame.

15 . The vehicle bottom condition monitoring system of claim 14 , wherein the virtual vehicle bottom condition monitoring system is configured to receive forward driving or backward driving information of the vehicle, and generate a vehicle bottom image in response to driving of the vehicle.

16 . The vehicle bottom condition monitoring system of claim 15 , wherein, when the vehicle travels forward, the virtual vehicle bottom condition monitoring system is configured to generate the vehicle bottom image by combining forward images of the stored image based on the traveling distance.

17 . The vehicle bottom condition monitoring system of claim 16 , wherein the virtual vehicle bottom condition monitoring system is configured to generate a forward image of the vehicle bottom image.

18 . The vehicle bottom condition monitoring system of claim 17 , wherein, in response to determining that a size of the combined forward image is the same as sum of an overall length of the vehicle and a size of a first forward image, the virtual vehicle bottom condition monitoring system is configured to store the combined forward image as a first frame of the forward image of the vehicle bottom image.

19 . The vehicle bottom condition monitoring system of claim 15 , wherein, when the vehicle travels backward, the virtual vehicle bottom condition monitoring system is configured to generate the vehicle bottom image by combining images of the stored image based on the traveling distance.

20 . The vehicle bottom condition monitoring system of claim 19 , wherein the virtual vehicle bottom condition monitoring system is configured to generate a rear image of the vehicle bottom image.

21 . The vehicle bottom condition monitoring system of claim 20 , wherein, in response to determining that a size of the combined rear image is the same as an overall length of the vehicle, the virtual vehicle bottom condition monitoring system is configured to store the combined rear image as a first frame of the rear image of the vehicle bottom image.

22 . The vehicle bottom condition monitoring system of claim 14 , wherein the virtual vehicle bottom condition monitoring system is configured to store each of forward and rear images of the vehicle bottom image, having a size up to twice an overall length of the vehicle.

23 . The vehicle bottom condition monitoring system of claim 13 , wherein the virtual vehi

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Oh Min Hyuk
• Choo Kyo Woong

Classifications

• B60R11/04 Primary

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

• G06V20/56 Primary

  exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle · CPC title

• B60W2530/18

  Distance travelled · CPC title

• B60K35/00

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title