Viewing system for vehicles, in particular commercial vehicles

Abstract

A viewing system for a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, includes an image capture unit, a computing unit, and a reproducing unit. The image capture unit includes a lens, which has an optical axis, and a digital image sensing unit, and is configured to be attached to the vehicle such that a viewing area on the side of the vehicle is sensed with at least one part of a first legally-prescribed field of view and with at least one part of a second legally-prescribed field of view. The lens is disposed with respect to the digital image sensing unit such that the optical axis extends through the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle equipped with a viewing system the viewing system comprising: an image capture unit, a computing unit connected to the image capture unit, and a reproducing unit connected to the computing unit, wherein the image capture unit comprises a lens, which has an optical axis, and a digital image sensing unit, and is attached to the vehicle such that, in use, a viewing area on the side of the vehicle is sensed with at least a part of a first legally-prescribed field of view and at least a part of a second legally-prescribed field of view, wherein the lens is disposed with respect to the digital image sensing unit such that the optical axis intersects the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit at a point, and wherein the point is located between a center of the digital image sensing unit and a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the digital image sensing unit .[.is substantially symmetric and.]. has at least one axis of symmetry.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the optical axis extends skewed with respect to at least one of the axes of symmetry of the digital image sensing unit.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the optical axis extends through the vertical center of the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the optical axis extends through the horizontal center of the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the optical axis extends through the surface center of the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first legally-prescribed field of view corresponds to the field of view II defined in the UN/ECE Regulation No. 46 for main exterior mirrors, and the second legally-prescribed field of view corresponds to the field of view IV defined in the UN/ECE Regulation No. 46 for wide-angle exterior mirrors.

8. A viewing system for a commercial vehicle, including: an image capture unit comprising a lens having an optical axis and a digital image sensor having a sensor surface having a center point, the digital image sensor being positioned adjacent to the lens such that the optical axis intersects the sensor surface at an intersection point offset from the sensor surface center point; a computing unit in communication with the image capture unit, and a reproducing unit in communication with the computing unit, wherein the computing unit is configured to receive an image sensed by the image capture unit and to modify it into a reproduced image such that the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view sensed by the image capture unit and the sensed part of the second legally-prescribed field of view are contained in the reproduced image, and the reproducing unit is configured to be disposed in the interior of the vehicle so as to be viewable by the driver and to display the reproduced image received from the computing unit.

9. The .[.vehicle.]. .Iadd.viewing system .Iaddend.according to claim 8, wherein the image capture unit further includes a housing, in which the digital image sensing unit and a holding device for the digital image sensing unit are disposed, and wherein the lens is attached to the housing.

10. The .[.vehicle.]. .Iadd.viewing system .Iaddend.according to claim 9, wherein the lens is .[.disposed eccentric with respect.]. .Iadd.not centered relative .Iaddend.to the holding device and .[.with respect.]. .Iadd.is not centered relative .Iaddend.to the digital image sensing unit.

11. The .[.vehicle.]. .Iadd.viewing system .Iaddend.according to claim 9, wherein the digital image sensing unit is .[.disposed eccentric with respect.]. .Iadd.not centered relative .Iaddend.to the holding device and .Iadd.is not centered relative to .Iaddend.the lens.

12. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the digital image sensing unit is a CMOS or CCD sensor.

13. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit is further configured to sense the viewing area from a birds-eye perspective.

14. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit is attached to a side of the vehicle such that the viewing area is sensed from front to rear in the forward driving direction of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit comprises a single digital image sensing unit for sensing the parts of the first and second legally-prescribed field of view.

16. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the optical axis is offset from a center of the digital image sensing unit.

17. The .[.vehicle.]. .Iadd.viewing system .Iaddend.according to claim 8, wherein the reproducing unit is configured to permanently display the reproduced image received from the computing unit.

18. The viewing system according to claim 8, wherein the image capture unit is configured to capture an image of a side of a vehicle to which the image sensor is attached and wherein the optical axis intersects the sensor surface at a location .[.substantially.]. midway between a first line including the side of the vehicle and a second, parallel, line including the center point of the sensor surface.

19. A vehicle equipped with a viewing system, the viewing system comprising: an image capture unit, a computing unit connected to the image capture unit, and a reproducing unit connected to the computing unit, wherein the image capture unit comprises a lens, which has an optical axis, and a digital image sensing unit, and is attached to the vehicle such that, in use, a viewing area on the side of the vehicle is sensed with at least a part of a first legally-prescribed field of view and at least a part of a second legally-prescribed field of view, wherein the first legally-prescribed field of view is a view from a perspective of a driver of the vehicle of at least a 4 meter wide, flat, horizontal portion of a road bounded on one side by a plane that a) is parallel to a median longitudinal vertical plane of the vehicle, b) passes through an outermost point of the vehicle on a driver's side of the vehicle or a passenger's side of the vehicle, and c) extends from a location 20 meters behind an eye of the driver of the vehicle to the horizon, and of a 1 meter wide portion of the road bounded by a plane a) parallel to the median longitudinal vertical plane of the vehicle, b) passing through the outermost point of the vehicle, and c) extending from a location 4 meters behind a vertical plane passing through the eye of the driver of the vehicle, and wherein the lens is disposed with respect to the digital image sensing unit such that the optical axis extends through the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit.

20. The vehicle according to claim 19, wherein the optical axis extends through the vertical center of the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit.

.Iadd.21. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the computing unit is configured to receive an image sensed by the image capture unit and to modify it into a reproduced image such that the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view sensed by the image capture unit and the sensed part of the second legally-prescribed field of view are contained in the reproduced image, and the reproducing unit is configured to be disposed in the interior of the vehicle so as to be viewable by the driver and to display the reproduced image received from the computing unit. .Iaddend.

.Iadd.22. The vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the reproducing unit is configured to permanently display the reproduced image received from the computing unit. .Iaddend.

.Iadd.23. The vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the image capture unit further includes a housing, in which the digital image sensing unit and a holding device for the digital image sensing unit are disposed, and wherein the lens is attached to the housing. .Iaddend.

.Iadd.24. The vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the lens is not centered relative to the holding device and is not centered relative to the digital image sensing unit. .Iaddend.

.Iadd.25. The vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the digital image sensing unit is not centered relative to the holding device and is not centered relative to the lens. .Iaddend.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be described in an exemplary manner in the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a viewing system;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a viewing system attached to a commercial vehicle and two legally-prescribed fields of view;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of an image capture unit of the viewing system; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a viewing area captured by the image capture unit of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) FIG. 1 schematically shows a viewing system 10. The viewing system 10, which for example can be used in a commercial vehicle such as a truck, comprises at least one image capture unit 30, a computing unit 20, and a reproducing (display) unit 40. The viewing area sensed (captured) by the image capture unit 30 is provided to a computing unit 20 via a first connection 21, for example a data cable suitable for digital transmission of the images captured by the image capture unit 30. The computing unit 20 can be configured to modify the sensed images in a desired manner into a reproduced (displayable) image. For example, the computing unit 20 can process one of the images received from the image capture unit 30 so that certain traffic objects are recognized and identified in the displayed image. The reproduced image modified by the computing unit 20 is then provided to the reproducing unit 40 via a second connection 31, for example a data cable suitable for digital transmission of images. The reproducing unit 40 is adapted to display the reproduced image to a driver of the commercial vehicle 50 in an easily viewable and photorealistic manner.

(7) The computing unit 20 need not necessarily process the image sensed by the image capture unit 30. In some embodiments, the computing unit 20 is configured such that the image sensed by the image capture unit 30 is provided in an unaltered state as the reproduced image of the reproducing unit 40.

(8) With reference to FIG. 2, a commercial vehicle 50 is shown which has a longitudinal axis 52 that extends substantially parallel to the forward driving direction, represented by an arrow 54. As shown in FIG. 2, the image capture unit 30 is located on the passenger's side of the commercial vehicle 50. The commercial vehicle 50 shown in FIG. 2 is a left-hand drive vehicle. However, the commercial vehicle 50 can also be a right-hand drive vehicle. In addition, for reasons of simplification, only one image capture unit 30 is shown. However, the disclosed viewing system 10 can also include a further image capture unit on the driver's side of the commercial vehicle 50, which further image capture unit has a similar configuration to the described passenger's-side image capture unit 30.

(9) The image capture unit 30 shown in FIG. 2 is attached to the commercial vehicle 50 such that it can sense (capture) a viewing area 60 which is located laterally adjacent to the commercial vehicle 50, and that extends substantially from front to rear up to the horizon. Here the image capture unit 30 is configured such that the viewing area 60 includes at least one part of a legally-prescribed field of view (vision) 62, which for example corresponds to the field of view (vision) II (Class II) defined in the UN/ECE Regulation No. 46 for primary (main) exterior mirrors, and at least one part of a second legally-prescribed field of view (vision) 64, which for example corresponds to the field of view IV (Class IV) defined in the UN/ECE Regulation No. 46 for wide-angle exterior mirrors. As shown in FIG. 2, the viewing area 60 captured by the image capture unit 30 completely includes the first and second legally-prescribed fields of view (vision) 62, 64.

(10) The image capture unit 30 further has an optical axis 32 which extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis 52 of the commercial vehicle 50. As shown in FIG. 2, the optical axis 32 extends through the first legally-prescribed field of view 62 and consequently need not necessarily extend centrally through the viewing area 60. Since the optical axis 32 extends through the first legally-prescribed field of view 62, the area of the sensed part, displayed by the reproducing unit 40 to the driver of the commercial vehicle 50, of the first legally-prescribed field of view 62 has a lesser distortion and higher reproduced image quality than the area of the sensed part of the second legally-prescribed field of view 64.

(11) With reference to FIG. 3, the individual components of the image capture unit 30 are shown in an exemplary manner. The image capture unit 30 includes a lens (objective) 34, a digital image sensing unit 36, a holding device 38, and a housing 39 in which the digital image sensing unit 36 and the holding device 38 are disposed. The lens (objective) 34 includes a lens and aperture system 35 which substantially define the extension of the optical axis 32 and can influence it by their arrangement. The lens 34 is attached to the housing 39 for example via a thread (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3, the digital image capture unit 36 is attached to the holding device 38, which is in turn attached to an interior side of the housing 39 in order to hold the digital image sensing unit 36 in a defined manner. The digital image sensing unit 36 shown in FIG. 3 is attached to the holding device 38 in an eccentric/off-center manner so that the digital image sensing unit 36 is also attached in an eccentric manner with respect to the lens 34. Here the dashed line 33 shows an axis orthogonal to the digital image sensing unit 36, which extends through the centroid (center) of the digital image capture unit and is spaced from the optical axis 32.

(12) FIG. 4 shows a viewing area 60 sensed by the image capture unit 30 in an exemplary manner, which viewing area 60 completely encompasses the first legally-prescribed field of view (vision) 62 and the second legally-prescribed field of view (vision) 64. The viewing area 60 can be depicted by the reproducing unit 40 as a reproduced image modified by the computing unit 20 or, as shown in FIG. 4, unaltered. In FIG. 4, the horizon 66 is shown as well as a portion of the commercial vehicle 50 which is also sensed by the image capture unit 30, so that the driver of the commercial vehicle 50 can quickly and easily understand the orientation of the reproduced (displayed) image.

(13) In addition, in FIG. 4 it is also apparent that the optical axis 32 is shifted from the center 68 of the viewing area 60 by an eccentricity or distance 69. In this case, the center of the viewing area 60 is a first distance from a plane at the side of the commercial vehicle 50, and the distance between the plane at the side of the vehicle and the optical axis 32 is about half the distance between the plane at the side of the commercial vehicle 50 and a parallel plane that includes the center 68. The center 68 lies within the second legally-prescribed field of view 64, but outside the first legally-prescribed field of view 62, which is the critical field of view. As was already mentioned, the optical axis 32 should be shifted from the center 68 of the viewing area 60 such that the optical axis 32 extends through the first legally-prescribed field of view 62 which is critical with respect to distortion. According to FIG. 4 an embodiment is shown in which the optical axis 32 lies close to the horizontal center of the legally-prescribed field of view 62. Consequently the optical distortion of the first legally-prescribed field of view 62 displayed on the reproduced image is low and the display of the first legally-prescribed and critical field of view 62 is better. The optical axis 32 is preferably shifted so far that it extends through the center of the first legally-prescribed field of view 62, which center is formed by the centroid.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

(14) 10 Viewing system

(15) 20 Computing unit

(16) 21 First connection

(17) 20 Computing unit

(18) 30 Image capture unit

(19) 31 Second connection

(20) 32 Optical axis

(21) 33 Axis of the digital image sensing unit

(22) 34 Lens (Objective)

(23) 35 Lens and aperture system

(24) 36 Digital image sensing unit

(25) 38 Holding device

(26) 39 Housing

(27) 40 Reproducing (Display) unit

(28) 50 Commercial vehicle

(29) 52 Longitudinal axis of the commercial vehicle

(30) 54 Forward driving direction

(31) 60 Viewing area

(32) 62 First legally-prescribed-field of view (vision)

(33) 64 Second legally-prescribed field of view (vision)

(34) 66 Horizon

(35) 68 Center of the viewing area

(36) 69 Eccentricity