Parking camera system and method of driving the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9519832-B2
Application number	US-201214116679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2012
Priority date	May 9, 2011
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A parking camera system and a method of driving the same includes a plurality of cameras equipped with a vehicle, an image synthesizer for synthesizing images photographed by the plurality of cameras, and an estimated travel trajectory generating and overlaying processor for generating an estimated travel trajectory of the vehicle by receiving steering angle information of the vehicle, and synthesizing the estimated travel trajectory of the vehicle with the images synthesized by the image synthesizer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A parking camera system, the system including:
a plurality of cameras equipped with a vehicle;
an image synthesizer for synthesizing images photographed by the plurality of cameras;
a memory storing a parking guide line of the vehicle, a parking area image and a vehicle image;
an input unit allowing the driver to select and input a parking mode including a parallel parking or a right angle parking; and
an estimated travel trajectory generating and overlaying processor for generating an estimated travel trajectory of the vehicle by receiving steering angle information of the vehicle, and synthesizing the estimated travel trajectory of the vehicle with the images synthesized by the image synthesizer,
wherein the memory outputs to the image synthesizer the parking guide line or the parking area image according to the selected parking mode, and
wherein the image synthesizer synthesizes at least one or more of the parking guide line, the parking area image and the vehicle image with images photographed by the cameras.

2. The parking camera system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cameras includes a first camera installed in front of the vehicle, a second camera installed at a rear of the vehicle, a third camera installed at a left side of the vehicle, and a fourth camera installed at a right side of the vehicle.

3. The parking camera system of claim 1 , further including a memory stored with a parking guide line of the vehicle, a parking area image and a vehicle image.

4. The parking camera system of claim 3 , wherein the memory is further stored with a parking mode image, a parking direction image and a warning phrase image.

5. The parking camera system of claim 3 , wherein the image synthesizer synthesizes at least one or more of the parking guide line, the parking area image and vehicle image stored in the memory with images photographed by the cameras.

6. The parking camera system of claim 2 , wherein the estimated travel trajectory generating and overlaying processor is connected to a display unit displaying an ambient image of vehicle synthesized with the estimated travel trace of the vehicle.

7. The parking camera system of claim 6 , wherein the ambient images of vehicle synthesized with the estimated travel trajectory of the vehicle are displayed about the vehicle image on the display unit,
wherein an image photographed by the first camera is positioned at the front of the vehicle image, an image photographed by the second camera is positioned at the rear of the vehicle image, an image photographed by the third camera is positioned at the left side of the vehicle image, and an image photographed by the fourth camera is positioned at the right side of the vehicle image.

8. The parking camera system of claim 1 , wherein the estimated travel trajectory of the vehicle is displayed on the display unit in the form of a polygon or a direction indication.

9. The parking camera system of claim 8 , wherein the estimated travel trajectory is displayed on the display unit changed in real time in response to change of a steering angle of vehicle.

10. The parking camera system of claim 1 , wherein the estimated travel trajectory generating and overlaying processor is such that the steering wheel of the vehicle calculates coordinates turned to a predetermined steering angle between a maximum steering angle and a minimum steering angle, and dotted lines connecting the coordinates generate the estimated travel trajectory of the vehicle.

11. A method of driving a parking camera system, the method including:
synthesizing images photographed by a plurality of cameras equipped with a vehicle;
generating an estimated travel trajectory of the vehicle by receiving steering angle information of the vehicle;
selecting a parking mode including a parallel parking or a right angle parking;
outputting to an image synthesizer a parking guide line or a parking area image according to the selected parking mode; and
synthesizing at least one or more of the estimated travel trajectory, the parking guide line, the parking area image and a vehicle image with images photographed by the cameras.

12. The method of driving a parking camera system of claim 11 , further including displaying the synthesized images and an image synthesized with the estimated travel trajectory on a display unit, after the step of synthesizing the estimated travel trajectory with the synthesized images.

13. The method of driving a parking camera system of claim 12 , wherein the estimated travel trajectory of the vehicle is displayed on the display unit by being changed in real time in response to change of a steering angle of vehicle.

14. The method of driving a parking camera system of claim 11 , wherein the images synthesized with images photographed by the plurality of cameras are images of substantially all-around views.

15. A method of driving a parking camera system, the method including:
selecting a parking image from images of all-around views of a vehicle;
combining an estimated travel trajectory of a vehicle generated by steering angle information of the vehicle with a parking area of the all-around views of the vehicle;
selecting a parking mode including a parallel parking or a right angle parking;
outputting to an image synthesizer a parking guide line or a parking area image according to the selected parking mode; and
synthesizing at least one or more of the estimated travel trajectory, the parking guide line, the parking area image and a vehicle image with images photographed by the cameras.

16. The method of driving a parking camera system of claim 15 , wherein the all-around views of the vehicle are made by synthesizing images photographed by a plurality of cameras equipped with the vehicle and are substantially all-around views of the vehicle.

17. The method of driving a parking camera system of claim 15 , wherein the parking mode includes a parallel parking and a right angle parking.

18. The method of driving a parking camera system of claim 15 , wherein the selected parking area is combined with parking guide line information, in case the parking area is selected.

19. The method of driving a parking camera system of claim 18 , wherein colors of estimated travel trajectory of vehicle are different, when the estimated travel trajectory matches the parking guide line and when the estimated travel trajectory does not match the parking guide line.

Assignees

• Lee Sangyong
• Lg Innotek Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sangyong

Classifications

• B60R2300/305

  merging camera image with lines or icons · CPC title

• B60R2300/302

  combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data · CPC title

• B60R2300/303

  using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images · CPC title

• H04N7/18

  Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast · CPC title

• B60W40/02

  related to ambient conditions · CPC title