VEHICLE DRIVING ASSIST SYSTEM

Abstract

A vehicle driving assist system includes at least a first camera (1) located at a rear part of the vehicle (10) for capturing a first field of view (11) outside of the rear of the vehicle (10). The first field of view (11) is larger than a second field of view (12) covered by a transflective element (22) of an optional rear-view mirror (21). The system further includes: a display (2) configurable for displaying an image of the first rear field of view (11) captured by the at least one, first camera (1); processing means for modifying the image to be displayed by the display (2) and for overlaying on the image displayed by the display (2) at least a reference line (41, 51, 52, 52) which corresponds to a predetermined distance at ground level (40) from the driver's ocular points (42) or from the rear of the vehicle (10).

Claims

1. A system for assisting a driver in driving a vehicle, comprising: at least a first camera for capturing a first field of view outside of the rear part of the vehicle and including ground level, the system further comprising: a display configurable for displaying an image of the first rear field of view captured by the, at least one, first camera; processing means for modifying the image to be displayed by the display and for overlaying on the image displayed by the display at least a reference line which corresponds to a predetermined distance at ground level from the vehicle.

2. The system according to any preceding claim, further comprising at least a parking camera located in the rear part of the vehicle for capturing a third field of view outside of the rear part of the vehicle including ground level and nearer to the vehicle than the first field of view.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the processing means modify the image to be displayed by the display according to a direction of the movement: if forward direction, the first field of view is displayed; if rearward direction, the third field of view is displayed, the display replacing the first field of view by the third field of view or displaying both the first field of view and the third field of view.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a third camera located in the driver side part of the vehicle and oriented toward a rear area of said vehicle for capturing a fourth field of view of the rear part of the vehicle and wherein the display is configured to display the fourth field of view.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the third camera is integrated in a driver side rear-view mirror of the vehicle.

6. The system according to claim 4, further comprising at least a fourth camera located in the opposite-driver side part of the vehicle and oriented toward a rear area of said vehicle for capturing a fifth field of view of the rear part of the vehicle and wherein the display is configured to display the fifth field of view.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the fourth camera is integrated in an opposite-driver side rear-view mirror of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a camera located in the opposite-driver side part of the vehicle and oriented toward a rear area of said vehicle for capturing a field of view of the rear part of the vehicle and wherein the display is configured to display the field of view of the rear part of the vehicle.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein: during forward driving of the vehicle, the display shows the images of the first camera in a middle area and the image of the third and fourth cameras adjacent to the middle area, or the display only shows the images of the first camera, and in a change of road lane or activating a turn signal the display shows the image of the first camera and adjacently the image of the side camera where the vehicle moves, during backward driving of the vehicle, the display shows the images of the parking camera in the middle area and the image of the third and fourth cameras adjacent to the image of the parking camera, or the display shows the images of the parking camera and first camera in the middle area, one adjacent to the other or one inside to the other, and the image of the third and fourth cameras adjacent to the middle image.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means are configured to overlay on the image displayed by the display at least a first horizontal reference line corresponding to a first predetermined distance when driving forward and a second horizontal reference line corresponding to a second predetermined distance when driving backward.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means are configured to overlay on the image displayed by the display at least two vertical oblique lines and the distance between the two vertical oblique lines corresponding to a predetermined width.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the overlay of the, at least one, reference line displayed by the display is activated, modified, or deactivated automatically based on the speed of the vehicle or the distance with a rear object.

13. The system according claim 1, wherein the display displays the, at least one, reference line according to a parameter which is configurable by the driver, the parameter being selected from color of the line, pattern of the line, length in which the line is displayed in the display and the predetermined distance to which the reference line corresponds.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising data input means for the driver to modify the parameter of at least one reference line, the data input means being located in steering wheel levers of the vehicle, on the display, or on a rear-view mirror.

15. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a rear-view mirror comprising at least a transflective element and a rear cover, the transflective element covers a second field of view outside of the rear part of the vehicle, the second field of view being smaller than the first field of view, and wherein the display is integrated in the rear-view mirror between the rear cover and the transflective element.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the display is at a location in the vehicle selected from dashboard, driver lateral door, opposite-driver lateral door, windshield, driver-door window and opposite-driver lateral window.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] For the purpose of aiding the understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred practical embodiment thereof and in order to complement this description, the following Figures are attached as an integral part thereof, having an illustrative and non-limiting character:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle driving assist system for rear vision, according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle driving assist system for rear vision, according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of a rear-view mirror of the vehicle driving assist system, according to a possible embodiment of the invention.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of the vehicle using horizontal reference lines overlaid on the display, according to a possible embodiment of the invention.

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of the vehicle using horizontal and vertical reference lines overlaid on the display, according to another possible embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The matters defined in this detailed description are example embodiments provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the invention. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that variation changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Also, description of well-known functions and elements are omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0032] Of course, the embodiments of the invention can be implemented in a variety of architectural platforms, operating and server systems, devices, systems, or applications. Any particular architectural layout or implementation presented herein is provided for purposes of illustration and comprehension only and is not intended to limit aspects of the invention.

[0033] FIG. 1 presents a vehicle (10) with a driving assist system for rear vision, according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, which comprises at least a first camera (1) located in a rear part of the vehicle (10) and oriented toward a rear area of said vehicle (10) such that it captures a first field of view (11) of the vehicle rear. A display (2), which can be located within an interior rear-view mirror (21), is configured to display a rear view field which depends on the working mode. The rear-view mirror (21) can be configured in two working modes.

[0034] In a first mode, display off, the rear-view mirror (21) is working as a mirror reflecting a second rear field of view (12) through a transflective element (22), i.e., a mirror which reflects and transmits part of the light, the transflection characteristics being fix or variable and adjustable through voltage. The transflective element (22) receives more light from the outside than the display (2) and therefore the image reflected is viewable by the driver through the transflective element (22).

[0035] In a second mode, display on, the rear-view mirror (21) is working as a display configured to display the first rear field of view (11) captured by the first camera (1) through the transflective element (22). When the display (2) is placed in the interior rear-view mirror (21), the rear image displayed by said display (2) replaces the rear image reflected by the transflective element (22) as it has substantially the same focal distance as the driver when looking at objects through the rear-view mirror (21) from the driver's ocular point (42). The transflective element (22) receives more light from the display (2) than the outside and therefore the driver sees the image displayed by the display (2) through said transflective element (22).

[0036] The image displayed by the display (2) covering the first rear field of view (11) is larger than the second rear field of view (12) image reflected by the transflective element (22) of the rear-view mirror (21).

[0037] In a variation of this embodiment, the display (2) may be out of the interior rear-view mirror (21) and displays the first rear field of view (11) captured by first camera (1) when the display (2) is on.

[0038] Another variation of this preferred first embodiment comprises at least a third camera located in the driver-side part of the vehicle (10) and oriented toward a rear area of said vehicle (10) such that it captures a fourth field of view of the vehicle rear, this camera may be integrated in the same driver-side rear-view mirror or replace said driver-side rear-view mirror. A display (2), which can be located within either an interior rear-view mirror (21), or dashboard, driver lateral door, windshield, driver-door window, etc., is configured to display that fourth field of view.

[0039] An improvement of this variation is that the embodiment also comprises a fourth camera located in the opposite-driver side part of the vehicle (10) and oriented toward a rear area of said vehicle (10) such that it captures a fifth field of view of the vehicle rear, this camera may be integrated in the same opposite-driver side rear-view mirror or replace said opposite-driver side rear-view mirror. A display (2), which can be located within either an interior rear-view mirror (21), or dashboard, opposite-driver lateral door, windshield, opposite-driver door window, etc., is configured to display that fifth field of view.

[0040] In addition, the driving assist system further comprises a controller with image processor which modifies the image received by the camera (1), adding when it is necessary reference overlays, and modifies the image to be displayed by the display (2). The controller may have data input means, e.g., a user interface, to allow the user change parameters of the overlays. Also, the user may input data by means of the steering wheel levers to modify manually the overlays. The controller may be located at the same location of the display (2), inside or outside the interior rear-view mirror (21) and even could be a controller located in other places and used for controlling other parameters too.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a driving assist system for rear vision in a vehicle (10) which comprises at least a first camera (1) located in a rear part of the vehicle (10) and oriented toward a rear area of said vehicle (10) such that it captures a first field of view (11) of the vehicle rear. At least a parking camera (3) is located in a rear part of the vehicle (10) and oriented toward the rear area of said vehicle (10) such that it captures a third field of view (13) of the vehicle rear next to the vehicle (10). A rear-view mirror (21), integrating a display (2), has two different working modes: a first mode, the rear-view mirror (21) working as a mirror, reflecting a rear second field of view (12) through a transflective element (22); and a second mode, the rear-view mirror (21) working as a display, configured to display the rear field of view captured by the first camera (1) through the transflective element (22). This rear image is displayed by the display (2) integrated in the rear-view mirror (21) and replaces the rear image reflected by the transflective element (22) of said rear-view mirror (21).

[0042] In this second embodiment, when the rear-view mirror (21) works displaying the images captured by the cameras (1, 3), the display (2) displays the image from the first camera (1) or the parking camera (3) depending on at least two different parameters: gear shift position and direction of movement. An example of the gear shift position parameter is if the gear shift position is in reverse shift position, the display (2) displays the image captured by the parking camera (3); and if the gear shift position is out of the reverse shift position, the display (2) displays the image captured by the first camera (1). An example of the direction of movement parameter is if the vehicle (10) is in rearward movement, the display (2) displays the image captured by the parking camera (3), and if the vehicle (10) is not in rearward movement, the display (2) displays the image captured by the first camera (1).

[0043] Finally, another option of displaying is that the display (2) always displays the image of the first camera (1) and when the system detects that images from the parking camera (3) have to be displayed, the display (2) displays both images, one adjacent to the other or one inside the other.

[0044] A variation of this second embodiment is adding one or both side cameras to the system. Then the display could work in one of the following ways. During forward driving, the display (2) shows the images of the first camera (1) in the middle and the image of every side camera adjacent to the middle image, or the display (2) only shows the images of the first camera (1), and in a change of road lane or activating a turn signal the display shows the image of the first camera (1) and adjacent the image of the side camera where the vehicle (10) moves. During backward driving, the display (2) shows the images of the parking camera (3) in the middle and the image of every side camera adjacent to the parking camera image, or the display (2) shows the images of the parking camera (3) and first camera in the middle, one adjacent to the other or one inside to the other, and the image of every side camera adjacent to the middle image.

[0045] In this second embodiment, the system further comprises a controller with image processor to modify the image received by the cameras (1, 3), adding when it is necessary the overlays on the images from both the cameras (1, 3), and in order to modify the image to be displayed by the display (2) according to the direction of the movement: if forward, the image from the first camera (1) is displayed; if rearward, the image from the parking camera (3) is displayed. This controller may also have means for inputting data, in the display (2), steering wheel levers, etc., by a user to modify parameters of the overlays: color, patterns, length in which the overlaid reference line is displayed and/or the predetermined distance to which said reference line corresponds. The controller may be located at the same location of the display (2), inside or outside the rear-view mirror (21) and even could be a controller located in other places and used for controlling other parameters too.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, the display (2), e.g., a LED display, can be located behind a transflective element (22). FIG. 3 shows the display (2) located in a rear-view mirror (21) which comprises a housing having a rear cover (20) and a front panel or frame (24). A display (2) and a transflective element (22) either allows the reflection of a part of the light and/or allows the transmission of lights therethrough. This transflective element (22), generally known as a half mirror or a one-way mirror, is shown mounted on the display (2) in front of the display (2) and fit together between the rear cover (20) and front frame (24) by means of a rubber pad (23). The transflective element (22) may be either a passive half mirror, with fixed characteristics of transmittance ant reflectance, or an active mirror that may modify through an electric voltage its characteristics of transmittance or/and reflectance. For example, the transflective element (22) may be an ordinary mirror, coated on its back surface with a thin layer of metal, usually silver or aluminum, such that reflects some light and is penetrated by the rest. Also, different types of mirror elements may be used, with electro-optic elements having variable transmittance and/or reflectance adjustable through variable voltage. Also, the display (2) may be installed directly in the vehicle (10) out of the rear-view mirror (21), such as dashboard, lateral doors, windshield, internal rear-view mirror, lateral-door windows, etc.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a possible embodiment of the invention which comes to solve the loss of references when driving forward, for example when the driver maneuvers to change the lane. At the top of the image displayed by the display (2) a first horizontal reference line (41), for example displayed in a first colour, e.g., blue, is represented to provide the driver a reference that can aid to interpret the relative position of the rear vehicles. This first horizontal reference line (41) is set at a predetermined position which corresponds to a first predetermined distance at ground level (40), e.g., 50 m, from the driver's ocular point (42) or from the rear part of the vehicle (10). This distance and its measurement are configurable.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows an improvement of the above-described embodiment presented in FIG. 4. At the top of the image displayed by the display (2) a second horizontal reference line (51) is represented to provide the driver with a reference that can aid to interpret the relative position of the approaching rear objects.

[0049] Additionally, to aid for driving forward, the display (2) also overlays two vertical oblique lines (52, 52), e.g., displayed in other colour different from the colour of the horizontal line (51), to provide the driver with a reference of the vehicle's width or even the road/road lane width to aid to interpret the lateral relative position of the approaching rear vehicles.

[0050] Since the use of these reference lines (41, 51, 52, 52) could become more an annoyance than a commodity inside of the city, where the speed of the vehicles is limited, or in a traffic jam of a highway, when the driving speed is also low and we can have a rear or next vehicle very close, closer that the beginning of the first field of view (11), an indicative of the need of any of these reference lines (41, 51, 52, 52) can be configured and based on a range of speed and/or the distance between the vehicle and the rear vehicle. Therefore, in a possible embodiment of the invention, the system further comprises processing means, e.g., a controller, for activating and deactivating the reference lines (41, 51, 52, 52) by the display (2) depending on a threshold of driving speed and/or the distance between the vehicle and the rear vehicle, which is probed by a sensor provided in the vehicle (10). For example, when driving at high speed, the predetermined distance at ground level (40) of the first horizontal reference line (41), and of the second horizontal reference line (51) if the latter is also used, should be modified to set a larger predetermined distance for security. Optionally, the driver can change manually some other characteristics of the reference lines (41, 51, 52, 52), such as adding lines, modifying the color, patterns, length in which the line is displayed, in addition to changing the predetermined distance to which said reference line corresponds as described before. For this purpose, the system further comprises data input means in the steering wheel levers, on the display, on the housing of the display or the rear-view mirror, etc., to allow the driver modify the characteristics of the overlays of the images from any of the cameras (1, 3).

[0051] Note that in this text, the term comprises and its derivations (such as comprising, etc.) should not be understood in an excluding sense, that is, these terms should not be interpreted as excluding the possibility that what is described and defined may include further elements, steps, etc.