Method for generating an image of the surroundings of a vehicle and imaging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9544549-B2
Application number	US-201113884573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2011
Priority date	Nov 12, 2010
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An imaging device and method for producing an image of a vehicle surroundings of a vehicle with at least one camera includes recording a first partial image in a first position or alignment of the camera and recording at least a second partial image in at least a second position or alignment of the camera, each partial image corresponding to the entire coverage area of the camera. The first partial image and the second partial image are assembled to form the image of the vehicle surroundings such that the image shows a larger area than each partial image. The imaging device includes the camera and an image synthesis device with which the first partial image and the second partial image can be assembled to form the image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for producing an image of a vehicle surroundings of a vehicle with at least one camera comprising:
recording a first partial image in a first position or alignment of the camera; and
recording at least a second partial image in at least a second position or alignment of the camera,
each partial image corresponding to the entire coverage area of the camera,
wherein the same camera records the first partial image and the second partial image,
wherein the vehicle, equipped with the camera, moves during a time between the recording of the first partial image and the recording of the second partial image,
wherein, as a result of the vehicle movement, the second position or alignment of the camera is different from the first position or alignment of the camera,
wherein the first partial image and the second partial image are assembled to form the image of the vehicle surroundings such that the image shows a larger area than each partial image,
wherein the image of the vehicle surroundings shows a parking space, which was recorded in at least one of the partial images, and

wherein the driver is shown one or more of the partial images in a normal mode, and the entire assembled image in an extended mode when the parking space is detected as free, wherein there is inserted into the image an artificial image element which represents a measurement of the parking space, an obstacle or a calculated parking track.

2. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image has a virtual viewpoint above the vehicle.

3. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the parking space is measured by at least one ultrasonic sensor.

4. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein there is inserted into the image an image element representing an automatically proposed parking position, and the parking position is varied by manually displacing the image element.

5. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein a parking operation of the vehicle is carried out semiautomatically or fully automatically as the image is being shown.

6. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image shows a plurality of parking spaces in the vehicle surroundings, and the driver selects one of those for parking.

7. Method according to claim 3 ,
wherein there is inserted into the image an image element representing an automatically proposed parking position, and the parking position is varied by manually displacing the image element.

8. Method for supporting a driver during parking by producing the image in accordance with claim 2 , in which the image shows a parking space which was recorded in at least one of the partial images.

9. Imaging device for producing an image of a vehicle surroundings of a vehicle comprising:
a camera that records a first partial image in a first position or alignment, and that records at least a second partial image in at least a second position or alignment of the camera, each partial image corresponding to the entire coverage area of the camera,
wherein the same camera records the first partial image and the second partial image,
wherein the vehicle, equipped with the camera, moves during a time between the recording of the first partial image and the recording of the second partial image,
wherein, as a result of the vehicle movement, the second position or alignment of the camera is different from the first position or alignment of the camera, and

an image synthesis device with which the first partial image and the second partial image can be assembled to form the image of the vehicle surroundings such that the image shows a larger area than each partial image,
wherein the image of the vehicle surroundings shows a parking space, which was recorded by the camera in at least one of the partial images, and
wherein the driver is shown one or more of the partial images recorded by the camera in a normal mode, and the entire assembled image from the image synthesis device in an extended mode when the parking space is detected as free, wherein there is inserted into the image an artificial image element which represents a measurement of the parking space, an obstacle or a calculated parking track.

10. Imaging device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a plurality of cameras in each case having a coverage area corresponding to a radius of less than 5 meters.

11. Driver assistance system with an imaging device according to claim 9 .

12. Vehicle with a driver assistance system according to claim 11 .

Assignees

• Vovkushevsky Vsevolod
• Bammert Jens
• Geiger Tobias
• Valeo Schalter & Sensoren Gmbh

Inventors

• Vovkushevsky Vsevolod
• Bammert Jens
• Geiger Tobias

Classifications

• B60R2300/301

  combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision · CPC title

• B60R2300/305

  merging camera image with lines or icons · CPC title

• H04N7/183 Primary

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• B60R1/00

  Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles · CPC title

• G06T3/4038 Primary

  Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images · CPC title