IMAGE PRESENTATION FOR VEHICLES WITH MULTIPLE CAMERAS

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a camera monitor system providing areas of importance to a driver, to a corresponding vehicle and to a method for operating such a camera monitor system comprising at least two separate cameras arranged to record camera views of the surrounding of the vehicle being different for each camera and at least one monitor with a monitor screen suitably arranged to provide the recorded camera views on the screen at least to the driver of the vehicle, wherein the provided camera views and/or an arrangement of the different recorded camera views on the monitor screen depend(s) on a status of the vehicle, wherein a control unit is adapted to observe the status of the vehicle and to alter the arrangement of the camera views provided on the screen in dependence on the observed status of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A camera monitor system for motor vehicles providing areas of importance to a driver comprising at least two separate cameras arranged to record camera views of the surrounding of the vehicle being different for each camera and at least one monitor with a monitor screen suitably arranged to provide the recorded camera views on the screen at least to the driver of the vehicle, wherein the provided camera views or an arrangement of the different recorded camera views on the monitor screen depends on a status of the vehicle, wherein a control unit is adapted to observe the status of the vehicle and to alter the arrangement of the camera views provided on the screen in dependence on the observed status of the vehicle, wherein the monitor screen shows the different camera views in adjacent sub-windows on the screen, wherein the monitor screen alters from one to another of the following arrangement of the camera views in dependence of the status of the vehicle, where (a) at least a first sub-window provides a first view as a small angle side rear view recorded by a side camera and a second sub-window providing a second view as a wide angle side rear view recorded by another side camera is arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen in case of the vehicle being on and/or driving forwards as a first arrangement; (b) in addition to the first arrangement a third sub-window providing a third view as a rear view from a rear camera is arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen in case of the vehicle driving forwards with activated blinker as a second arrangement, where the third view comprises distance lines to vehicles in the back as overlay in the third view; (c) at least the first sub-window providing the first view and a fourth sub-window providing a fourth view as a wide angle rear view recorded by another rear camera is arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen in case of the vehicle driving backwards as a third arrangement, where the fourth view comprises steering lines for the vehicle as overlay in the fourth view; or (d) the screen is switched off in case of the vehicle being off as a fourth arrangement, and wherein a virtual vehicle model is incorporated into the displayed views as a further sub-window to indicate the vehicle boundaries to the driver.

2. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is at least connected to a control board or a bus system of the vehicle to receive at least one driving parameter of the group of vehicle velocity, steering angle, engine on/off, blinker settings on/off right/left, traffic situation around the vehicle, driving direction forwards/backwards, glare, recognized traffic signals and lane marks, and ultrasound warnings.

3. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein the status of the vehicle comprises at least two elements or at least two combinations of a group of elements comprising vehicle on, vehicle off, driving forwards mode, driving backwards mode, parking mode, non-driving mode, drive around a right-hand bend, drive around a left-hand bend, blinker on to right side, blinker on to left side, blinker off, drive in light, in particular bright, environment and drive in dark environment.

4. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein the camera monitor system comprises monitors on both sides of the vehicle.

5. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein the cameras comprise at least one rear view camera and at least one side view camera, and at least one front view camera.

6. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to overlay the displayed camera views by additional information in case of particular status of the vehicle.

7. The camera monitor system according to claim 6, wherein the control unit provides distance lines or steering lines as information in case of driving the vehicle below a predetermined velocity threshold.

8. The camera monitor system according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined velocity threshold is 20 km/h in forward or backward driving direction.

9. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein in case of an activated blinker the control unit provides an aspherical wider camera view to the side to which the blinker is activated.

10. The camera monitor system according to claim 9, wherein the aspherical wider view is only provided in case of vehicle velocities below 30 km/h, preferably below 20 km/h.

11. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein the camera monitor system comprises an insert unit adapted to provide certain camera views to the screen selectable by the driver.

12. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein the sub-windows are displayed seamless to each other.

13. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein in the first or second arrangement the monitor screen further comprises at least a fifth sub-window providing at least a fifth view as a small or wide angle front or side front view recorded by a side camera and/or front camera side-by-side on the monitor screen.

14. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, where in the third arrangement the monitor screen further comprises the second sub-window providing the second rear view side-by-side on the monitor screen.

15. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the views is displayed as two-dimensional top view.

16. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein the sub-windows comprise a shape suitable resulting in an arrangement providing a contiguous picture of an environment of the vehicle at least on one side of the vehicle.

17. The camera monitor system according to claim 1, wherein the arrangements are provided on the monitor screen in a mirror-inverted arrangement for the respective monitors on both sides of the vehicle.

18. A motor vehicle comprising a camera monitor system according to claim 1.

19. A method for operating a camera monitor system for motor vehicles providing areas of importance to a driver, comprising: recording camera views of the surrounding of the vehicle with at least two separate cameras, where the camera views being different for each camera; providing the recorded camera views on a monitor screen of at least one monitor at least to the driver of the vehicle, where the provided camera views or an arrangement of the different recorded camera views on the monitor screen depends on a status of the vehicle; observing the status of the vehicle by a suitably adapted control unit; and altering the arrangement of the camera views provided on the screen by the control unit in dependence on the observed status of the vehicle.

20. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: showing the different camera views in adjacent sub-windows on the monitor screen.

21. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: providing a first view in a first sub-window as a small angle side rear view recorded by a side camera and providing a second view in a second sub-window as a wide angle side rear view, preferably an aspherical wider view, recorded by another side camera arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen in case of the vehicle being on and/or driving forwards as a first arrangement; in addition to the first arrangement providing a third view in a third sub-window as a rear view from a rear camera arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen in case of the vehicle driving forwards with activated blinker as a second arrangement, where the third view comprises distance lines to vehicles in the back as overlay in the third view; providing the first view in the first sub-window and providing a fourth view in a fourth sub-window as a wide angle rear view recorded by another rear camera arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen in case of the vehicle driving backwards as a third arrangement, where the fourth view comprises steering lines for the vehicle as overlay in the fourth view; and switching off the screen in case of the vehicle being off as a fourth arrangement.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0045] These and other aspects of the present disclosure are shown in detail in the illustrations as follows.

[0046] FIG. 1: a schematic view of an embodiment of a camera monitor system;

[0047] FIG. 2: a schematic view of another embodiment of a camera monitor system;

[0048] FIG. 3: a schematic view of a vehicle;

[0049] FIG. 4: an embodiment of views with additional information displayed as overlay;

[0050] FIG. 5: several embodiments of different arrangements of displayed views arranged in different sub-windows of a monitor screen; and

[0051] FIG. 6: an embodiment of a method to operate a camera monitor system for motor vehicles providing areas of importance to a driver.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a camera monitor system 1 for motor vehicles 10 providing areas of importance to a driver 20. The camera monitor system 1 comprises three separate cameras 2, 2a, 2b, 2c arranged to record 110 camera views V of the surrounding of the vehicle 10 being different for each camera 2, 2a, 2b, 2c and two monitors 3, 3a, 3b with a monitor screen 31 suitably arranged to provide 120 the recorded camera views V on the screen 31 at least to the driver 20 (not shown here) of the vehicle 10. The provided camera views V and/or arrangements M1, M2, M3, M4 (see FIG. 5) of the different recorded camera views V on the monitor screen 31 depend(s) on a status S of the vehicle 10, wherein a control unit 4 is adapted to observe 130 the status S of the vehicle 10 and to alter the arrangement M1, M2, M3, M4 of the camera views V provided on the screen 31 in dependence on the observed status S of the vehicle 10. The status S of the vehicle 10 comprises at least two elements or at least two combinations thereof of a group of elements comprising vehicle on VO, vehicle off VF, driving forwards mode, driving backwards mode, parking mode, non-driving mode, drive around a right-hand bend, drive around a left-hand bend, blinker on BO to right side, blinker on BO to left side, blinker off BF, drive in light environment and drive in dark environment. Here the camera monitor system 1 comprises two monitors 3a, 3b on both sides of the vehicle 10. The three cameras 2 comprise a rear view camera 2a, a side view camera 2b and a front view camera 2c, where the side view camera 2b is adapted to provide a side view, a front view from the side of the vehicle and a rear view from the side of the vehicle.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of another embodiment of the camera monitor system 1 comprising an insert unit 6 connected to the control unit 4 adapted to provide certain camera views V to the screen selectable 200 by the driver 20 on demand. The insert unit might be a keyboard, a touch screen or an arrangements of control switches to select the views on demand.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the vehicle 10 comprising a camera monitor system 1. The control unit 4 is connected to a control board or a bus system 30 of the vehicle 10 to receive at least one driving parameter of the group of vehicle velocity VV, steering angle, engine on/off, blinker 5 settings on/off right/left, traffic situation around the vehicle 10, driving direction forwards/backwards, glare, recognized traffic signals and lane marks, and ultrasound warnings. Here the camera monitor system 1 comprises monitors 3a, 3b on both sides of the vehicle 10, the monitor 3a on the driver side and the monitor 3b on the passenger side. The vehicle further comprises blinker 5 on both sides, where in case of an activated blinker 5 the control unit 4 provides an aspherical wider camera view V2, V4 to the side to which the blinker 5 is activated. The information about an activated blinker 5 is received from the control board or a bus system 30. The aspherical wider view is only provided in case of vehicle velocities below 30 km/h, preferably below 20 km/h. The velocity information is also received from the control board or a bus system 30.

[0055] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of views with additional information displayed as overlay. Here the control unit 4 is adapted to overlay the displayed camera views V by additional information in case of particular status S of the vehicle 10. In FIG. 4a the control unit 4 will provide distance lines as information in case of driving the vehicle 10 below a predetermined velocity threshold. In FIG. 4b the control unit 4 will provide steering lines as information in case of driving the vehicle 10 below a predetermined velocity threshold. The predetermined velocity threshold is 20 km/h in forward or backward driving direction FDD, BDD.

[0056] FIG. 5 shows several embodiments of different arrangement of displayed views arranged in different sub-windows of the monitor screen. Here, the monitor screen 31 shows the different camera views V in adjacent sub-windows 32 on the screen 31, where the sub-windows are displayed seamless to each other. The monitor screen 31 alters from one to another of the following arrangement M1, M2, M3, M4 of the camera views V in dependence of the status S of the vehicle 10, where a first sub-window 32 provides a first view V1 as a small angle side rear view recorded by a side camera 2b and a second sub-window 32 providing a second view V2 as a wide angle side rear view, preferably an aspherical wider view, recorded by another side camera 2b arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen 31 in case of the vehicle being on and/or driving forwards as a first arrangement M1; in addition to the first arrangement a third sub-window 32 providing a third view V3 as a rear view from a rear camera 2a is arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen 31 in case of the vehicle 10 driving forwards with activated blinker 5 as a second arrangement M2, where the third view V3 comprises distance lines to vehicles in the back as overlay in the third view V3; and the first sub-window 32 providing the first view V1 and a fourth sub-window 32 providing a fourth view V4 as a wide angle rear view, preferably an aspherical wider view, recorded by another rear camera 2a is arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen 31 in case of the vehicle driving backwards as a third arrangement M3, where the fourth view comprises steering lines for the vehicle 10 as overlay in the fourth view V4; and the screen 31 is switched off in case of the vehicle being off as a fourth arrangement M4. In the first and/or second arrangement M1, M2 the monitor screen 31 may further comprise at least a fifth sub-window 32 providing at least a fifth view V5 as a small or wide angle front or side front view recorded by a side camera 2b and/or front camera 2c side-by-side on the monitor screen 31. In the third arrangement M3 the monitor screen 31 further comprises the second sub-window providing the second rear view V2 side-by-side on the monitor screen 31. Additionally, a virtual vehicle model VVM is incorporated into the displayed views V1-V5 as a further, sixth sub-window 32 to indicate the vehicle boundaries to the driver 20.

[0057] The virtual vehicle model VVM is incorporated into the displayed views as the further, sixth sub-window to indicate the vehicle boundaries to the driver and, thus, provide additional orientation to the driver, how the displayed views relate to the vehicle boundaries. The virtual vehicle model VVM must not depict the complete vehicle body, rather parts thereof are sufficient to assist the driver in understanding the relationship of the different camera views within the different sub-windows in relation to vehicle. Thus, it is sufficient to depict one vehicle boundary e.g. the boundary of the door next to the driver in order to indicate the vehicle boundaries to the driver. Accordingly, the further sixth sub-window can be narrow, in particular narrower than the other sub-windows, with even one clearly discernible, highlighted line being sufficient.

[0058] In FIG. 5 at least one of the views V1-V5 are displayed as two-dimensional top view, preferably the views V3, V4 with overlaid information, see FIG. 4. The sub-windows 32 comprise a shape suitable resulting in an arrangement M1, M2, M3, M4 providing a contiguous picture of an environment of the vehicle at least on one side of the vehicle 10. The shown rectangular shapes of the sub-windows are only a particular example. The shape of the sub-windows according to the present invention is not limited to rectangular shapes. The sub-windows may have any suitable shape, e.g. triangular, trapezoidal or diamond-shaped. The arrangements M1, M2, M3, M4 are provided on the monitor screen 31 in a mirror-inverted arrangement for the respective monitors 3a (left side) and 3b (right side, one example in case of arrangement M1) on both sides of the vehicle 10.

[0059] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the method 100 to operate a camera monitor system 1 for motor vehicles 10 providing areas of importance to a driver 20, where beside the steps of recording 110 camera views V of the surrounding of the vehicle 10 with at least two separate cameras 2, 2a, 2b, 2c, where the camera views being different for each camera 2, 2a, 2b, 2c; and providing 120 the recorded camera views V on a monitor screen 31 of at least one monitor 3, 3a, 3b at least to the driver 20 of the vehicle 10, where the provided camera views V and/or an arrangement M1, M2, M3, M4 of the different recorded camera views V on the monitor screen 31 depends on a status S of the vehicle 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The method further comprises the steps of observing 130 the status S of the vehicle 10 by a suitably adapted control unit 4 and altering 140 the arrangement M1, M2, M3, M4 of the camera views V provided on the screen 31 by the control unit 4 in dependence on the observed status S of the vehicle 10. Here different camera views V might be shown 150 in adjacent sub-windows 32 on the monitor screen 31, see FIG. 5. Preferably the sub-windows 32 are displayed seamless to each other. The method further comprises the steps of providing 160 a first view V1 in a first sub-window 32 as a small angle side rear view recorded by a side camera 2b and providing a second view V2 in a second sub-window 32 as a wide angle side rear view, preferably an aspherical wider view, recorded by another side camera 2b arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen 31 in case of the vehicle being on and/or driving forwards as a first arrangement M1; in addition to the first arrangement providing 170 a third view V3 in a third sub-window 32 as a rear view from a rear camera 2a arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen 31 in case of the vehicle 10 driving forwards with activated blinker 5 as a second arrangement M2, where the third view V3 comprises distance lines to vehicles in the back as overlay in the third view V3; at least providing 180 the first view V1 in the first sub-window 32 and providing a fourth view V4 in a fourth sub-window 32 as a wide angle rear view, preferably an aspherical wider view, recorded by another rear camera 2a arranged side-by-side on the monitor screen 31 in case of the vehicle driving backwards as a third arrangement M3, where the fourth view comprises steering lines for the vehicle 10 as overlay in the fourth view V4; or switching off 190 the screen 31 in case of the vehicle being off as a fourth arrangement M4.

[0060] The embodiments shown here are only examples of the present invention and must therefore not be understood as restrictive. Alternative embodiments considered by the skilled person are equally covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0061] 1 camera-monitor system for vehicles according to the present invention [0062] 2 different cameras [0063] 2a rear view camera [0064] 2b side view camera [0065] 2c front view camera [0066] 3 monitor [0067] 3a, 3b monitors on each side of the vehicle [0068] 4 control unit [0069] 5 blinker [0070] 6 insert unit [0071] 10 vehicle according to the present invention [0072] 20 driver of the vehicle [0073] 30 control board or bus system of the vehicle [0074] 31 monitor screen [0075] 32 sub-windows on the monitor screen [0076] 100 Method to operate a camera monitor system according to the present invention [0077] 110 recording camera views of the surrounding of the vehicle [0078] 120 providing the recorded camera views on a monitor screen of at least one monitor at least to a driver [0079] 130 observing the status of the vehicle by a suitably adapted control unit [0080] 140 altering the arrangement of the camera views in dependence on the observed status of the vehicle [0081] 150 showing the different camera views in adjacent sub-windows on the monitor screen [0082] 160 providing a first view and a second rear view as a first arrangement [0083] 170 providing a third view in addition to the first arrangement as a second arrangement [0084] 180 providing the first view and a fourth view as a third arrangement [0085] 190 switching off the screen as a fourth arrangement [0086] 200 selecting certain camera views by the driver via an insert unit [0087] BDD backward driving direction [0088] BF blinker off [0089] BO blinker on [0090] FDD forward driving direction [0091] M1 first arrangement of the camera views on the monitor screen [0092] M2 second arrangement of the camera views on the monitor screen [0093] M3 third arrangement of the camera views on the monitor screen [0094] M4 fourth arrangement of the camera views on the monitor screen [0095] S status of the vehicle [0096] V different camera views [0097] V1 first camera view of the surrounding of the vehicle [0098] V2 second camera view of the surrounding of the vehicle [0099] V3 third camera view of the surrounding of the vehicle [0100] V4 fourth camera view of the surrounding of the vehicle [0101] V5 fifth camera view of the surrounding of the vehicle [0102] VF vehicle off [0103] VO vehicle on [0104] VV vehicle velocity [0105] VVM vehicle virtual model