Indirect View System For a Vehicle

Abstract

An indirect view system (100) for a vehicle is provided with at least a capture unit (10) adapted for capturing image data of at least one area of view around the vehicle, at least a control unit (20) which is adapted for processing the images captured by the capture unit, and at least one reproduction (30) which is adapted for reproducing the area of view. The view system has a first setting (1) for showing the area of view and at least a second setting (2) for showing the area of view. The first setting (1) uses predetermined image parameters, and the at least second setting (2) uses image parameters which are changed in view of the first setting (1). The first setting (1) and the at least second setting (2) are usable in an at least partial low light intensity vehicle environment.

Claims

1. An indirect view system for a vehicle, comprising: at least one capture unit which is adapted for capturing image data of at least an area of view around the vehicle; at least one control unit which is adapted for processing the image data which are captured by the capture unit; and at least one reproduction unit which is adapted for reproducing the area of view; wherein the indirect view system has a first setting for showing the area of view and at least a second setting for showing the area of view; wherein the first setting uses predetermined image parameters; the at least second setting uses image parameters which are changed in view of the first setting; and the first setting and at least the second setting are usable in an at least partial low light intensity vehicle environment depending on the driving situation.

2. The indirect view system according to claim 1, wherein in the second setting at least an amplification of the luminous sensitivity of the capture unit occurs.

3. The indirect view system according to claim 2, wherein the amplification occurs in the analog part of the image sensor of the capture unit.

4. The indirect view system according to claim 2, wherein the amplification occurs in the digital part of the image sensor of the capture unit.

5. The indirect view system according to claim 1, wherein the second setting attenuates image data which are located in a highlight intensity part of an area of view by increasing the exposure time and/or by additional amplification and/or by using at least one further exposure time and/or by an adaptation of the dynamic compression.

6. The indirect view system according to claim 1, wherein the second setting highlights image data which are located in a low light intensity part of an area of view by increasing the exposure time and/or by additional amplification and/or by using at least one further exposure time and/or by adapting the dynamic compression.

7. The indirect view system according to claim 1, wherein using of the second setting is based on driver's inputs.

8. The indirect view system according to claim 7, wherein the driver's inputs occur manually.

9. The indirect view system according to claim 7, wherein the driver's inputs occur by means of the driver's behavior.

10. The indirect view system according to claim 1, wherein using the second setting is based on vehicle data and/or image data.

11. The indirect view system according to claim 1, wherein the capture unit is a HDR-compatible camera, which uses at least two different exposure times for capturing an area of view around the vehicle.

12. The indirect view system according to claim 1, wherein the capture unit is a HDR-compatible camera and the second setting is adapted to highlight image data in low light intensity areas of the vehicle environment by means of a dynamic compression.

13. The indirect view system according to claim 1, wherein the requirements of legal prescriptions are fulfilled.

14. The indirect view system according to claim 1, wherein the first setting and the second setting show at least two bright point light sources in a low light intensity vehicle environment distinguishable from each other on the reproduction unit.

15. The indirect view system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is adapted to carry out the first setting and/or the second setting.

16. The indirect view system according to claim 1, wherein the view system is a mirror replacement system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In the following, the invention will be exemplarily described with reference to the enclosed figures, in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of the indirect view system according to the invention,

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a histogram of an image in accordance with a first setting,

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a histogram of the image of FIG. 2 in accordance with the second setting,

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a symbolic illustration of a vehicle environment,

[0037] FIGS. 5A and 5B show an image of a vehicle environment with the first setting according to FIG. 2, and

[0038] FIGS. 6A and 6B show an image of a vehicle environment with the second setting according to FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of an indirect view system 100 according to the present invention. The indirect view system 100 has a capture unit 10, a control unit 20 and a reproduction unit 30.

[0040] The capture unit 10 is adapted to capture images of surroundings around a vehicle (not shown), in particular a commercial vehicle, in the form of image data. For this, the capture unit 10 is attached to the vehicle in a suitable manner. The capture unit 10 may be a camera, in particular a camera with a sensor according to a CMOS- or CCD-technology or any other image sensor, which is suitable for capturing moving pictures. A plurality of capture units 10 may be provided. The capture 10 communicates with the control unit 20, for example, via connecting cables or radio communication.

[0041] The control unit 20 is adapted for processing the image data captured by the capture unit 10. In this respect, the control unit 20 uses predetermined/changed image parameters, such as the resolution, the contrast, the color saturation, temperature and shades, the exposure, etc. The image parameters may be changed by means of the control unit 20 or additionally or alternatively may be changed by an adaptation of the vehicle environment, such as attaching and using of an additional light source or a thermal image sensor at the vehicle. The control unit 20 has at least two settings 1 and 2. Both setting 1, 2 are used in low light intensity surroundings and serve for selecting (first setting 1) or adapting (second setting 2) of parameters such that the necessary and/or prescribed information are shown to the driver on the reproduction unit 30. In this respect, legal requirements (such as legally prescribed fields of view or the illustration of point light sources) may be fulfilled, wherein, in case of illustrating point light sources, it is sufficient to indicate an insufficient detailed illustration, which does not allow a differentiation of point light sources by means of a corresponding hint on the reproduction unit 30. The sign ? illustrated in FIG. 1, presently, refers to a logic operation of both setting 1 and setting 2 such that (in a low light intensity environment) always one of the two settings 1, 2, however, never a combination of the two settings 1, 2 is to be used. The control unit 20 communicates with the reproduction unit 30, for instance, via connecting cables or radio communication.

[0042] The reproduction unit 30 is adapted for reproducing images which have been captured by the capture unit 10 and have been processed by the control unit 20. The reproduction unit 30 may be a monitor, such as a LCD, TFT or LED monitor. A plurality of reproduction units 30 may be provided.

[0043] Setting 1 is primarily selected in normal driving situations, such as highway tours or overland tours. Setting 1 uses predetermined parameters, which may be stored in data bases, tables, etc. Setting 2 is primarily selected in special driving situations (which differ from the normal driving situation), such as driving manoeuvers, such as shunting, turning, reverse driving, etc., or special conditions in the surroundings of the vehicle, the driver's cabin, the driver's behavior. Setting 2 uses changed (in view of the setting 1 changed and adapted, respectively) image parameters, which are detected by monitoring the driving situation. The selection of setting 1 and 2 occurs either automatically by detecting driving signals (speed, turning angle of the steering wheel, turn signal, time, GPS, sensors mounted on the vehicle, etc.) and/or by detecting driver's inputs (manual inputs, driver's movements, voice commands, etc.). It is also conceivable that the settings 1 and 2 are applied in special and normal driving situations (i.e., are interchanged, inverted to each other), respectively, as long as the legal prescriptions (such as legally prescribed fields of view or the illustration of point light sources) are complied with.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a histogram of an image shown on the reproduction unit 30, which is adapted to predetermined parameters by means of setting 1. A histogram graphically illustrates the pixel distribution of an image with respect to the different light intensity levels. The histogram shows details in dark picture/image areas (left part of the histogram), in middle picture/image areas (center) and in bright picture/image areas (right part). Presently, the light intensity of the pixels is assigned from black (leftmost) to white (rightmost) on the X-axis (axis which runs from left to right in the plane of the sheet). On the Y-axis (axis which runs from down to up in the plane of the sheet), the number of pixels is allocated from zero (downmost) to n (upmost, n=a natural number). The histogram shown in FIG. 2 represents the frequency of pixels in the corresponding light intensity. As it can be taken from the histogram shown in FIG. 2, a major part of the image pixels shown from the reproduction unit is located at the left end of the X-axis (at the end at which the pixels are dark and black, respectively) and, thus, are mainly dark. Such an illustration of pixel corresponds to a reproduction of a dark environment with setting 1 as it is used during a highway tour or an overland tour, and an illustration of bodies in the environment/surroundings is not necessary, except for point light sources of a vehicle moving in the surroundings.

[0045] FIG. 3 also shows a histogram, which is structured as the one in FIG. 2, wherein the image from FIG. 2 shown on the reproduction unit 30 is slightly brightened, i.e., is slightly displaced to the right in the direction white. Thus, the pixels are no longer at the left end of the X-axis, as in FIG. 2, but are slightly displaced to the right and, consequently, are illustrated brighter on the reproduction unit. Such an illustration of pixels corresponds to the reproduction of a dark environment with the setting 2, as it is, for instance, used at special driving manoeuvers (shunting, turning, reverse driving, etc.), which require a brighter illustration of the dark environment than during a highway tour or an overland tour and a figurative highlighting of bodies in the environment, without violating legal prescriptions.

[0046] An adaptation of the image parameters, as they are shown in FIG. 3, can occur by changing the resolution, the contrast, the saturation, the color temperature (the white balancing), the shades of color, the exposure, etc., of image data. Alternatively or additionally to the adaptation of image parameters by the control unit, an adaptation of image parameters may also occur by attaching an additional light source or a thermal image camera (monochrome or colored) at the vehicle. Thereby, the dark part of the vehicle surroundings may be illuminated such that the light intensity of the vehicle surroundings is increased and such that a detection of obstacles by means of a thermal image is possible, respectively.

[0047] In FIG. 4, a vehicle environment, as it is visible for a driver on a reproduction unit 30 is symbolically illustrated. On the left side of the image, a building 3 with (illuminated) windows is illustrated. In the center, a lantern 4, a roadside ditch 5 and a road marking 6 are illustrated. On the right side of the image, a horizon 7, a passenger car 8, part of a truck 40 (tractor without trailer), part of a truck rear light 41 and a side marking light of the truck 42 are illustrated.

[0048] During driving (e.g., on a highway or overland) at a low light intensity environment or even darkness, the view system 100 uses setting 1 (as it is shown in FIG. 5A), whereby the driver sees substantially only the flood lights of the passenger car 8 as point light sources on the reproduction unit 30. For instance, during a shunting operation at low light intensity environment or even darkness, the view system 100 uses (either automatically or by means of one or more corresponding driver inputs) setting 2 (as it is shown in FIG. 6A), whereby a change of the image parameters for reproduction of the image data on the reproduction unit 30 occurs such that the driver is now capable to view the environment in a better way (such as the building 3, the road marking 6, etc.). Thereby, the flood lights of the passenger car 8 are usually no longer cognizable as point light sources, what is admissible according to the ECE-R46, if this is indicated to the driver, for instance, by a corresponding symbol (icon) on the reproduction unit, such as a monitor. Alternatively, it is conceivable in order to avoid that the flood lights of the passenger car 8 are not shown as very bright points, in the worst case as not separately visible point light sources, the changing of the image parameters occurs only in the areas of the environment with low light intensity, namely the vehicle surroundings which do not comprise the passenger car 8. Thus, the driver can well view the environment, e.g., during shunting, and can quickly get an impression of the environment, without being dazzled by the flood lights of the passenger car 8 or without that he does not identify the flood lights as such.

[0049] FIGS. 5A and 5B show an image of the vehicle environment illustrated in FIG. 4 with setting 1, as it is approximately also shown on the reproduction unit 30 in the driver's cabin, wherein FIG. 5A substantially corresponds to the illustration as it is shown in the driver's cabin and FIG. 5B is a rendered view. As it is shown in FIG. 5A, the flood lights of the passenger car 8 are well visible and distinguishable, respectively, as separate point light sources. Details in dark areas of the vehicle environment are not visible. The image shown in FIG. 5A corresponds to the histogram shown in FIG. 2, wherein the image contents are strongly displaced in the direction of the black area and the pixels are clustered along a certain light intensity threshold in the image to a minimal value (see peak at the left, i.e., the black end of the histogram).

[0050] FIGS. 6A and 6B show an image of the vehicle environment illustrated in FIG. 4 with setting 2, as it is approximately also shown on the reproduction unit 30 in a driver's cabin, wherein FIG. 6A substantially corresponds to the illustration as it is shown in the driver's cabin, and FIG. 6B is a rendered view. As it is shown in FIG. 6A, the flood lights of the passenger car 8 are merely poorly visible and distinguishable, respectively, as separate point light sources. Whereas, details in dark areas around the vehicle environment are visible in a better way compared to FIG. 6A. The image shown in FIG. 6A corresponds to the histogram shown in FIG. 3, wherein the image contents are illustrated in a brightened manner in the black portion and the pixels are clustered over a certain light intensity threshold in the image to the maximal value (see peak at the right, i.e., the white end of the histogram).

[0051] It is explicitly stated that all features disclosed in the description and or the claims are intended to be disclosed separately and independently from each other for the purpose of original disclosure as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed invention independent on the composition of the features in the embodiments and/or the claims. It is explicitly stated that all value ranges or indications of groups of entities disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity for the purpose of original disclosure as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed invention, in particular as limits of value ranges.

[0052] Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.