US-20260124991-A1 - CAMERA MONITORING SYSTEM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

US20260124991A1US 20260124991 A1US20260124991 A1US 20260124991A1US-20260124991-A1

Abstract

A camera monitoring system is adapted for use in vehicles, and includes an image capturing means, a control unit, and at least one display device. The image capturing means is configured to capture an image from an external environment, and is associated with an exterior rear-view mirror of the vehicle. The unit is connected to the capturing means, and is configured to select an image region from the captured image. The image region is smaller than the captured image and is movable within the captured image. The camera monitoring system may further include a gesture detector for the detection of driver gestures, such as driver's head movements, to move the displayed image region. In this way, the displayed exterior field of view of the vehicle is adjusted according to the driver's head movements.

Inventors

Lluís Gibert Castroverde
Natalia Canosa Perez
Noelia Rodriguez Ibañez
Brenda Meza García
Jordi Tenas Martínez
Xavier Biosca Yuste
Daniel Guerra Fagundez
Juan Antonio NUÑEZ

Assignees

Ficosa Adas, S.L.U.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251230
Priority Date: 20190624

Claims (17)

1 . A camera monitoring system for motor vehicles, comprising: image capturing means being associated with at least an exterior rear-view mirror of a vehicle, the exterior rear-view mirror being a mounting assembly located at an exterior part of the vehicle, the image capturing means being located at the mounting assembly and configured to capture an image from an exterior field of view of the vehicle, wherein the field of view extends at least sideward and rearward outside the vehicle and encompasses a portion of the exterior part of the vehicle; an electronic control unit, ECU connected to the image capturing means; a display device including at least a first screen located inside the vehicle and connected to the ECU; a surveillance system arranged inside the vehicle, the surveillance system being configured to capture at least the driver's head; and a gesture detector, wherein the ECU is configured to select at least an image region from an image captured by the image capturing means, the image region being smaller than the captured image and movable within the captured image, wherein the image region is displayed by the display device, and wherein the gesture detector, based on the driver's head movement, is configured to trigger displacement of the image region within the captured image such that, in use, the displayed exterior field of view of the vehicle is adjusted according to the driver's head movement.
2 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the surveillance system comprises an additional camera inside the vehicle configured to capture the driver's head, such that driver's head movements are recognized in images of the driver captured by the additional camera.
3 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the gesture detector is implemented in the ECU.
4 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the gesture detector uses an image classifier.
5 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the gesture detector performs a crop-and-pan functionality triggered by a driver's head movement.
6 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the surveillance system is arranged within the vehicle, fixed (i) in front of the driver, (ii) in the interior rear-view mirror, or (iii) in the CMS display device.
7 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the driver's head movement is tracked by the surveillance system, wherein the surveillance system is capable of working out the position and/or distance of the driver's head.
8 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the captured image is derived from a raw image acquired by the image capturing means that includes a symmetric image of the raw image with respect to a vertical axis of the captured image.
9 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 8 , wherein the symmetric image is generated by at least one of an image sensor of the image capturing means, an image signal processor (ISP), and by the ECU.
10 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the captured image is generated as a symmetric image of a raw image by a System-on-Chip (SoC), the SoC comprising at least one of an image sensor of the image capturing means and an image signal processor (ISP), or being integrated within the ECU, and wherein the SoC performs real-time image processing to generate the captured image, wherein at least one image region is updated within the captured image in response to the driver's head movement, such that the displayed exterior field of view of the vehicle is adjusted according to the driver's head movement.
11 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the ECU is configured to move the at least one image region within the capture image according to a relative angle (X 1 , X 2 ) defined as the angle between the at least one obtained position of the part of the driver's body and the electronic display device, wherein, for a first relative angle (X 1 ) defined with respect to a first obtained position and a second relative angle (X 2 ) is greater than first relative angle (X 1 ), the ECU is configured to move the at least one image region at least to a left along a horizontal axis of the captured image if the vehicle is for right-hand traffic and at least to a right along the horizontal axis of the capture image if the vehicle is for left-hand traffic, and wherein the exterior FOV is adjusted based on the at least one obtained position and the electronic display device is configured to display the adjusted exterior FOV in the at least one image region.
12 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the ECU is further configured to: a. move the image region corresponding to a downward vertical displacement such that the field of view, FOV, is vertically displaced in a downward direction, when the driving direction is changed from a forward driving direction to a reverse driving direction, and b. move the image region corresponding to an upward vertical displacement such that the field of view, FOV, is vertically displaced in an upward direction, when the driving direction is changed from a reverse driving direction to a forward driving direction.
13 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the ECU is configured to determine a relative upward and downward movement of the exterior rear-view mirror from a change in the pitch angle value, and further configured to: (a) move the image region corresponding to a downward vertical displacement such that the field of view, FOV, is vertically displaced in a downward direction, when the exterior rear-view mirror is downwardly moved, and (b) move the image region corresponding to an upward vertical displacement such that the field of view, FOV, is vertically displaced in an upward direction, when the exterior rear-view mirror is upwardly moved.
14 . The camera monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the ECU is configured to move the image region such that the zoom of the displayed image increases when the driving speed is increased and such that it surpasses the predefined driving speed value, while the image region area is decreased when the vehicle speed falls below a predefined driving speed value.
15 . A motor vehicle comprising an intelligent rear-view monitoring system, the intelligent rear-view monitoring system includes: a first camera monitoring system according to claim 1 with image capturing means located on the left side of the vehicle and associated with an exterior rear-view mirror of the left side, a second camera monitoring system according to claim 1 with image capturing means located on the right side of the vehicle and associated with an exterior rear-view mirror of the right side, and wherein a single ECU, connected to the image capturing means of the first and second camera monitoring systems, is configured to control the first camera monitoring system and the second camera monitoring system.
16 . The motor vehicle comprising the intelligent rear-view monitoring system according to claim 15 , wherein it further comprises an interior rear-view mirror system, and a rear camera, wherein the interior rear-view mirror system is configured to provide the driver with an image of the rear camera, and wherein the ECU also controls the interior rear-view mirror system.
17 . The motor vehicle comprising the intelligent rear-view monitoring system according to claim 16 , wherein, in a default operating state, an image region associated with the interior rear-view mirror system is arranged at least in a more central position along a horizontal axis of the captured image of the rear camera than the image regions of the first and second camera monitoring systems are arranged along a horizontal axis of their respective captured images.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/910,980, filed on Jun. 24, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/910,980 claims the benefit of European Application Serial No. 19382531.2 filed Jun. 24, 2019. BACKGROUND The present invention has its application within the control systems for motor vehicles comprising electronic (interior and/or exterior) rear-view mirror system. The present invention relates to a camera monitoring system (CMS) to manage the field of view to be displayed in one or more electronic rear-view mirrors of a vehicle, including a driver gesture-detection functionality for controlling the adjustment of the displayed field of view. Touch screens are largely known in the art. They have a spatially resolving sensor associated with a display surface, the sensor detecting a touch of the display surface, in particular at least one contact in precise positions by a finger, and so the interaction of the user with the displayed touch screen contents is possible. US20130128047A1 discloses a touch type display mirror comprising a touch panel through which a user inputs a first signal, a photosensitive panel arranged on a rear surface side of the touch panel, and a display arranged on a rear surface side of the photosensitive panel and including a signal processing unit processing the first signal that is input from the touch panel, wherein the signal electronic processing unit (ECU) is connected to an angle-adjustable rear view camera and adjusts a shooting angle of the angle-adjustable rear view camera according to a second signal that is input from the touch panel. Thus, a mechanical actuator includes to change the position (shooting angle) of the exterior rear-view camera, where the mechanical actuator is in charge of the activation/deactivation of the camera based on the signal from the ECU which, in turn, connects to a touch panel, from where the driver enters the desired position of the rear-view by touching the screen. A problem of the prior art is that a mechanical actuator is needed, which means cost, complexity and likelihood of damage over time. In addition, in modern camera monitoring systems (CMS) used as electronic or digital rear-view mirror systems, the displayed field of view is typically static and not dynamically adjusted during driving. As a result, the visibility of objects located in blind-spot regions or in areas outside the fixed display window is limited. This reduced situational awareness may compromise driving safety, particularly during manoeuvres such as lane changes or merging. Therefore, it is highly desirable to provide a motor vehicle with a control system for the electronic rear-view mirror system(s) to change the field of view of the rear-view mirror(s) without any mechanical actuator. BRIEF DESCRIPTION The present invention solves the aforementioned problems and overcomes previously explained state-of-art work limitations by providing a camera monitoring system for motor vehicles, configured to display images captured from (an exterior and/or side) rear-view mirror of the motor vehicle on a screen located at an interior surface of the door visible for the driver. The proposed camera monitoring system (CMS) is capable of managing the field of view (FOV) of the means for capturing images (e.g., a camera of the electronic rear-view mirror) and changing at least this field of view without any mechanical actuator. Optionally, the proposed CMS is capable of managing the FOV of the rear-view mirror, e.g., by touching a control surface without dirtying the screen of the display provided by the rear-view mirror. The control surface may be any surface that allows the user to manage the field of view of the image capturing means (e.g., the camera) by touching the surface (e.g., another display, another section of the display, etc.), the CMS using any touch detection technology. Furthermore, the proposed CMS can manage the FOV of the rear-view mirror even without touching the control surface (i.e., through a touchless screen), for example, by gestures, using any gesture detection technology. The touchless control surface may be implemented in different ways such as: i) by increasing the capacity sensibility of the screen (no camera is used), ii) by using a camera based on image-classifiers. For option ii), the proposed CMS comprises a gesture detector and a driver surveillance system (both explained further below). The gesture detector may be or comprise a driver monitoring system (DMS). The driver surveillance system may comprise an in-cabin sensor, such as an in-cabin (driver monitoring) camera, configured to capture driver gestures. In the present disclosure, said in-cabin camera is also referred to the additional camera. The driver's gestures may be movements of driver's head (e.g., moving his/her head forward in the veh