Vehicle top clearance alert system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9269263-B2
Application number	US-201313774317-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2013
Priority date	Feb 24, 2012
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle clearance alert system includes at least one sensor or camera disposed at a vehicle and having an exterior field of view in a direction of travel of the vehicle. A control is responsive to the camera and is operable to determine a height dimension of a structure in the path of travel of the vehicle. The control is operable, responsive to (i) the determined height dimension of a structure in the path of travel of the vehicle and (ii) a height dimension of the vehicle, to determine if there is sufficient clearance between the structure and the vehicle for the vehicle to pass under the structure. Responsive to a determination that there is not sufficient clearance between the structure and the vehicle for the vehicle to pass under the structure, the alert system is operable to generate an alert to the driver of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle clearance alert system comprising:
at least one camera disposed at a vehicle and having an exterior field of view in a direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said at least one camera is operable to capture image data;
a control having an image processor operable to process image data captured by said at least one camera;
wherein, responsive to image processing of image data captured by said at least one camera, said control is operable to determine a height dimension of a structure in the path of travel of the vehicle;
wherein said control is operable, responsive to (i) the determined height dimension of the structure in the path of travel of the vehicle and (ii) a height dimension of the vehicle, to determine if there is sufficient clearance between the structure and the vehicle for the vehicle to pass under the structure;
wherein, responsive to a determination that there is not sufficient clearance between the structure and the vehicle for the vehicle to pass under the structure, said vehicle clearance alert system is operable to generate an alert to the driver of the vehicle; and
wherein said control is operable to determine a height dimension of the vehicle via processing of captured image data that is representative of at least one of (i) a reflected image of the vehicle and (ii) a shadow of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one camera comprises a forward facing camera having a field of view in a forward direction of travel of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 1 , wherein said control is operable responsive to image data captured by at least one remote imaging sensor capturing the vehicle at least in part.

4. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 1 , wherein the height of the vehicle is stored in a memory of said control.

5. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 1 , wherein said control is operable to determine a height dimension of a structure in the path of travel of the vehicle responsive at least in part to information generated by a navigation system of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 1 , wherein said control is operable to determine a height dimension of a structure in the path of travel via determining a height of the structure above the ground.

7. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 1 , wherein said control is operable to determine a height dimension of a structure in the path of travel via determining a height dimension at a sign at or near the structure.

8. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to a determination that there is not sufficient clearance between the structure and the vehicle for the vehicle to pass under the structure, said alert system is operable to generate a graphic overlay that overlays a displayed image to visually alert the driver of the vehicle of insufficient clearance.

9. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to a determination that there is not sufficient clearance between the structure and the vehicle for the vehicle to pass under the structure, said alert system is operable to control at least one of (i) steering of the vehicle and (ii) braking of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to a determination that there is not sufficient clearance between the structure and the vehicle for the vehicle to pass under the structure, said control is operable to determine a clearance path around or through the structure.

11. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 10 , wherein said control is operable to guide or direct the driver of the vehicle along the determined clearance path.

12. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 11 , wherein said control is operable to control the steering of the vehicle as the vehicle passes around or through the structure.

13. The vehicle clearance alert system of claim 12 , wherein, responsive to a determination that there is no clearance path available around or through the structure, said control is operable to control braking of the vehicle.

14. A vehicle clearance alert system comprising:
at least one camera disposed at a vehicle and having an exterior field of view in a direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said at least one camera is operable to capture image data;
a control having an image processor operable to process image data captured by said at least one camera;
wherein, responsive to image processing of image data captured by said at least one camera, said control is operable to determine a height dimension of a structure in the path of travel of the vehicle;
wherein said control is operable, responsive to (i) the determined height dimension of the structure in the path of travel of the vehicle and (ii) a height dimension of the vehicle, to determine if there is sufficient clearance between the structure and the vehicle for the vehicle to pass under the structure;
wherein, responsive to a determination that there is not sufficient clearance between the structure and the vehicle for the vehicle to pass under the structure, said vehicle clearance alert system is operable to generate an alert to the driver of the vehicle; and
wherein said control is operable to determine a height dimension of the vehicle with an object disposed thereon via processing of captured image data and based at least in part on a known height of the vehicle when no object is disposed thereon, and wherein the height of the vehicle is stored in a memory of said control.

15. A vehicle clearance alert system comprising:
at least one camera disposed at a vehicle and having an exterior field of view in a direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said at least one camera is operable to capture image data;
a control having an image processor operable to process image data captured by said at least one camera;
wherein, responsive to image processing of image data captured by said at least one camera, said control is operable to determine a height dimension of a structure in the path of travel of the vehicle;
wherein said control is operable, responsive to (i) the determined height dimension of the structure in the path of travel of the vehicle and (ii) a height dimension of the vehicle, to determine if there is sufficient clearance between the structure and the vehicle for the vehicle to pass under the structure;
wherein, responsive to a determination that there is not sufficient clearance between the structure and the vehicle for the vehicle to pass under the structure, said vehicle clearance alert system is operable to generate an alert to the driver of the vehicle;
wherein the height of the vehicle is stored in a memory of said control; and
wherein said control is operable to determine a height dimension of the vehicle with an object disposed thereon via processing of captured image data that is representative of at least one of (i) a reflected image of the vehicle with the object disposed thereon and (ii) a shadow of the vehicle with the object disposed thereon.

16. A vehicle clearance alert system comprising:
a forward facing camera disposed at a vehicle and having an exterior field of view in a forward direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein said camera is operable to capture image data;
a control having an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera;
wherein, responsive to image processing of image data captured by said camera, said control is operable to determine a height dimension of a structure in the path of travel o

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Gieseke Achim

Classifications

• G08G1/165 Primary

  for passive traffic, e.g. including static obstacles, trees · CPC title

• G08G1/04

  using optical or ultrasonic detectors · CPC title

• G08G1/096766 Primary

  where the system is characterised by the origin of the information transmission · CPC title

• B60R2300/8093

  for obstacle warning · CPC title

• G08G1/096708

  where the received information might be used to generate an automatic action on the vehicle control · CPC title