Provided is an automobile dashcam and a method therefor, and more particularly, to an automobile dashcam system capable of controlling storage of image by simple motion of a user, without directly inputting a command, and a method therefor.

An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a determination unit and an output control unit. The determination unit determines whether a particular part related to a type of an object is included in a blind spot of an object of interest. The output control unit outputs output information when it is determined that the part is included in the blind spot.

A vehicular vision system includes a camera module that includes a camera and a circuit board. With the camera module mounted at a vehicle windshield, the camera has a field of view forward of the vehicle and through the vehicle windshield. The camera includes an imager and a lens, with the lens having a principal lens axis. The camera captures image data. The camera is electrically connected to circuitry established at the circuit board via a flexible electrical connector. Circuity of the circuit board (i) provides electrical power to the camera via the flexible electrical connector, (ii) controls the camera via the flexible electrical connector and (iii) receives image data from the camera via the flexible electrical connector. With the camera module mounted at the windshield, the circuit board is tilted at an angle relative to the principal lens axis of the lens of the camera.

A method of synchronizing cameras with an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicular vision system includes providing camera control signals to the cameras from the ECU via respective links from the ECU to the cameras, with the camera control signals regulating timing of the respective camera to be synchronous with reference timing of the ECU. The timing regulation of the cameras includes starting the camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing and holding the camera synchronous to the ECU reference timing. Image data is captured with each camera and provided to the ECU via the respective link. Image data captured by at least one of the cameras may be processed to detect an object present exterior of the vehicle.

A method for synthesizing a lane image is proposed in the present application. This method includes the following steps. M continuous image frames are retrieved at a frame rate f from a video image capture device. A quantity N for image mapping is determined based on a dash length L of a dashed line and a distance S between two dashes of the dashed lines. A frame interval for mapping image frames is determined based on the dash length L, the distance S, the velocity v, and the frame rate f. At least N image frames are retrieved from the M continuous image frames at the frame interval. The at least N image frames are synthesized to obtain the lane image using an image synthesizing device.

Auxiliary safety device for a vehicle, comprising a housing suitable to be mounted on board of the vehicle; a lighting assembly which is at least partially accommodated in the housing and comprises at least a plurality of lights arranged to illuminate a space ahead of the vehicle; a video assembly which is at least partially accommodated in the housing and comprises one or more video cameras monitoring at least part of the environment outside the vehicle to detect one or more of humans, animals or objects ahead of the vehicle, wherein the video assembly comprises at least one thermal video camera which detects at least humans/animals ahead of the vehicle under poor visibility conditions; and a controller which at least causes the plurality of lights to flash or strobe at a human, or animal or obstacle detected by the video assembly.

A vehicular vision system includes a camera module that includes a camera and a circuit board. With the camera module mounted at a vehicle windshield, the camera has a field of view forward of the vehicle and through the vehicle windshield. The camera includes an imager and a lens, with the lens having a principal lens axis. The camera captures image data. The camera is electrically connected to circuitry established at the circuit board via a flexible electrical connector. Circuity of the circuit board (i) provides electrical power to the camera via the flexible electrical connector, (ii) controls the camera via the flexible electrical connector and (iii) receives image data from the camera via the flexible electrical connector. With the camera module mounted at the windshield, the circuit board is tilted at an angle relative to the principal lens axis of the lens of the camera.

A top-view image of a road is composed from at least two images taken by a vehicle-mounted camera. A speed and/or an acceleration of the vehicle is recorded, as well as at least two sequential images. A first image is selected for further processing. A first selected area of the first selected image is determined, located in a zone of the image with minimum distortion. A second image captured later is selected for further processing. A second area of the second image is selected in a zone of the image with minimum distortion and located such that image content shown at a lower border of the second area is adjacent to image content at an upper border of the first selected area. The first and second selected areas are transformed into a top-view perspective, and the transformed first and second selected areas stitched together for generating a composed top-view image.

A driver assistance system for a motor vehicle having a first assistance subsystem for capturing a first sub-area of an environment of the motor vehicle and having a second assistance subsystem for capturing a second sub-area of the environment. The first assistance subsystem is configured to generate a first image of the first sub-area and the second assistance subsystem is configured to generate a second image of the second sub-area. The driver assistance system has a display device for displaying at least the first image. The display device being configured to display a first augmented reality, the first augmented reality being generated by superimposition of the first image with first assistance information of the first assistance subsystem as the first augmented reality content and by superimposition with second assistance information of the second assistance subsystem as the second augmented reality content.

A vehicular vision system includes a camera module configured for mounting at an in-cabin portion of a windshield of a vehicle and including a circuit board and a camera that views forward of the vehicle and through the windshield. The camera includes a CMOS imaging sensor array. A data processor is operable to process image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array. Image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array is encoded by a data encoder chip. Image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array that is encoded at the data encoder chip is carried as a data stream from the camera module to the data processor via a cable. Communication via the cable between the camera and the data processor is bidirectional. The data processor is located in the vehicle remote from the camera module.