A communication system for vehicles includes a camera disposed at a first vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the first vehicle. The camera captures image data. A first communication device disposed at the first vehicle wirelessly transmits image data captured by the camera. A second communication device disposed at a second vehicle receives the transmitted captured image data from the first communication device. At least one of (i) an image processor disposed at the second vehicle processes the received transmitted captured image data for a driver assistance system of the second vehicle and (ii) a display of the second vehicle displays images derived from the received transmitted captured image data for viewing by a driver of the second vehicle.

A method of operating an Around View Monitoring (AVM) system according to the present invention includes: obtaining image data from image sensors disposed at different locations of a vehicle; performing image processing on the image data for improving an image; performing lens distortion correction on the processed image data; detecting an overlapping region from the corrected image data; selecting an image display method so as to prevent the detected overlapping region from overlapping when the image is synthesized, and synthesizing the image data according to the selected image display method; and outputting the synthesized image data.

Various embodiments are described herein for allowing a user in a vehicle to view at least one AR image of a portion of the vehicle's surroundings. At least one real world camera may be used to obtain at least one real world image of the portion of the vehicle's surroundings and at least one display may be used to display the at least one AR image to the user. Location, orientation and field of view data for the at least one real world camera is obtained and a virtual world camera having similar characteristics is generated to obtain at least one virtual world image of a portion of the virtual world data that corresponds to the real world data. The at least one AR image is generated by combining the at least one virtual and real world images.

A method for detecting objects ejected from a cabin of a vehicle includes generating window image data of a vehicle window opening of the vehicle with a camera mounted on the vehicle; and processing the window image data with a controller operably connected to the camera to generate ejected object data corresponding to at least one object ejected from the cabin through the vehicle window opening. The method further includes associating the ejected object data with occupant data of an occupant of the vehicle with the controller.

A method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator is disclosed. The method includes identifying a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle. Also included is identifying that the vehicle location is near or at a parking location. Then, using mapping data defined for the parking location. The mapping data at least in part is used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical structure when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location. The method includes instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with controlling the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location at the parking location. The electronics use as input at least part of the mapping data and sensor data collected from around the vehicle by at least two vehicle sensors. The path is configured to be updatable dynamically based on changes in the destination location or changes along the path. The destination location is a parking spot for the vehicle at the parking location.

A method for operating a camera-monitor system for a motor vehicle, in which the camera-monitor system has a camera that is designed to provide an image of an environment of the motor vehicle and has a monitor for representing images from the camera comprises providing an image from the camera, ascertaining an attention-relevant object in the environment, temporarily changing at least one representation property of the image in dependence on the ascertained object to form a changed image, and representing the changed image on the monitor.

A method for monitoring an interior of a motor vehicle using at least one camera directed into the interior during a temporary access to the interior or to a trunk of the motor vehicle, the camera being switched on by a control unit during the entire access or in the event of deviations from specified rules for the access and transmitting the recorded data to a storage device.

A method or system capable of managing automobile parking space (APS) using containerized sensors, machine learning center, and cloud based network is disclosed. A process, in one aspect, monitors the surrounding information observed by a set of onboard sensors of a vehicle as the vehicle is in motion. After selectively recording the surrounding information in accordance with instructions from a containerized APS model which is received from a machine learning center, an APS and APS surrounding information are detected when the vehicle is in a parked condition. Upon rewinding recorded surrounding information leading up to the detection of APS, labeled data associated with APS is generated based on APS and the recorded surrounding information. The process subsequently uploads the labeled data to the cloud based network for facilitating APS model training at the machine learning center via a virtuous cycle.

Systems and methods for providing access to vehicle videos are provided. An example system may include a plurality of cameras and an electronic device associated with a vehicle. The electronic device can continuously record a plurality of videos captured by the plurality of cameras, periodically generate, based on the plurality of videos, snapshot images including image metadata, and upload the snapshot images to a remote computing system. The remote computing system can render the snapshot images for view and selection by a user and receive, from the user, a selection of a snapshot image of the snapshot images. In response to the user selection, the remote computing system can select, based on the image metadata associated with the selected snapshot image, a video from the plurality of videos and play back a portion of the video stored on the electronic device.

A vehicle has a trailer hitch, a vehicle electrical connector configured to electrically connect to a trailer electrical connector, and an imaging system oriented to captures images proximate to the trailer hitch. The vehicle also includes a proximity sensing system arranged to sense objects proximate to the trailer hitch and generate a proximity signal, an electrical connection detection system to detect an electrical connection to the vehicle trailer connector and generate an electrical connection signal, and a controller processing the captured images, the proximity signal and the electrical connector signal and determining a connection state of a trailer to the vehicle based on the captured images, the proximity sensor and the electrical connector signal, and generating an output indicative of the determined connection state.