Patent Application
20210178986
The present invention generally relates to an imaging system for a vehicle and/or a trailer and, more particularly, an imaging and display system for use in a vehicle that may be pulling a trailer.
Systems are known in which a camera is mounted to the rear of a trailer to provide rearward images for display to the driver using a display device mounted in the vehicle. Such cameras typically have a field of view with an aspect ratio of about 2:1 thereby yielding a wide view of about 135 degrees horizontally and about 70 degrees vertically. This low vertical angle can result in failure to see objects close behind the trailer, particularly when the camera is mounted high up on the trailer.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an imaging and display system is provided for use in a vehicle pulling a trailer comprising: a trailer camera mounted on the trailer such that the trailer camera is oriented to receive images from a first field of view having a horizontal angle and a vertical angle where the vertical angle is greater than the horizontal angle; an image processor for receiving the images from the trailer camera and for processing the images to create a back-up image and a rearward image from an image captured by the trailer camera, the back-up image corresponding to a second field of view cropped from the lowest portion of the first field of view and the rearward image corresponding to a third field of view cropped from a portion of the first field of view above the lowest portion, the third field of view having a horizontal angle and a vertical angle where the horizontal angle is greater than the vertical angle; and a display mounted in the vehicle and coupled to the image processor for displaying at least one of the rearward image, the back-up image, and both the rearward and back-up images. In some embodiments, the trailer camera may be configured to wirelessly transmit images to the vehicle. In some embodiments, the horizontal angle of the first field of view may be about 70 degrees and/or the vertical angle of the first field of view may be about 135 degrees. In some embodiments, the aspect ration of the first field of view may be about 9:16. In some embodiments, the horizontal angle of the second field of view may be about 70 degrees and/or the vertical angle of the second field of view may be about 67 degrees. In some embodiments, the aspect ratio of the second field of view may be about 1:1. In some embodiments, the horizontal angle of the third field of view may be about 70 degrees and/or the vertical angle of the third field of view may be about 15 degrees. In some embodiments, the aspect ratio of the third field of view may be at least about 4:1. In some embodiments, the display may be mounted in a rearview assembly mounted to one of a windshield and a roof of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the image processor may control the display to display both the rearward image and the back-up image when the vehicle is in reverse gear and to display the rearward image when the vehicle is not in reverse gear.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an imaging system is provided for a trailer comprising: a trailer camera mounted on the trailer such that the trailer camera is oriented to receive images from a first field of view having a horizontal angle and a vertical angle where the vertical angle is greater than the horizontal angle; and an image processor for receiving the images from the trailer camera and for processing the images to create a back-up image and a rearward image from an image captured by the trailer camera, the back-up image corresponding to a second field of view cropped from the lowest portion of the first field of view and the rearward image corresponding to a third field of view cropped from a portion of the first field of view above the lowest portion, the third field of view having a horizontal angle and a vertical angle where the horizontal angle is greater than the vertical angle.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an imaging and display system is provided for a vehicle comprising: a camera mounted such that the camera is oriented to receive first images from a first field of view having a horizontal angle and a vertical angle and having an aspect ratio of about 9:16; and an image processor for receiving the first images from the camera and for processing the first images to create a second image and a third image from a first image captured by the camera, the second image corresponding to a second field of view cropped from a lower portion of the first field of view and the second image corresponding to a third field of view cropped from a portion of the first field of view above the lower portion; and a display mounted in the vehicle and coupled to the image processor for simultaneously displaying both the second and third images. In some embodiments, the camera may be a trailer camera that is configured to wirelessly transmit images to the vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle may be a pickup truck having a truck bed and the third images are rearward images. In some embodiments, the second images may be truck bed images. In some embodiments, the horizontal angle of the first field of view may be about 70 degrees and/or the vertical angle of the first field of view may be about 135 degrees.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an imaging and display system is provided for a pickup truck having a truck bed, the system comprising: a camera mounted on the truck such that the camera is oriented to receive images from a first field of view having a horizontal angle and a vertical angle where the vertical angle is greater than the horizontal angle; an image processor for receiving images from the camera and for processing the images to create a truck bed image and a rearward image from an image captured by the camera, the truck bed image corresponding to a second field of view cropped from the lowest portion of the first field of view and the rearward image corresponding to a third field of view cropped from a portion of the first field of view above the lowest portion, the third field of view having a horizontal angle and a vertical angle where the horizontal angle is greater than the vertical angle; and a display mounted in the truck and coupled to the image processor for displaying at least one of the rearward image, the truck bed image, and both the rearward and truck bed images. In some embodiments, the horizontal angle of the first field of view may be about 70 degrees and/or the vertical angle of the first field of view may be about 135 degrees. In some embodiments, the aspect ratio of the second field of view may be about 1:1. In some embodiments, the horizontal angle of the third field of view may be about 70 degrees and/or the vertical angle of the third field of view may be about 15 degrees.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The present illustrated embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to an imaging and display system. Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been represented, where appropriate, by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Further, like numerals in the description and drawings represent like elements.
For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the disclosure as oriented in
With reference to
The image processor 30 creates the back-up second image 52 so that it corresponds to a second field of view B cropped from the lowest portion of the first field of view A. The second field of view B has the same horizontal angle H as the first field of view A. Thus, when looking at the image sensor 14 of the first trailer camera 12 as shown in
A second trailer camera 12a may be mounted to capture forward images. Similar to the first trailer camera 12, the second trailer camera 12a may be mounted so that it captures images from a field of view having a horizontal angle and a vertical angle where the vertical angle is greater than the horizontal angle where the field of view has an aspect ratio of about 9:16. The image processor 30 may likewise crop the first images received from the second trailer camera 12a into a second image and a third image, where the second image is of a lower field of view encompassing the trailer hitch and the third image is of a higher field of view forward at and/or above the vehicle 25. For example, the third image may be of the bed of a truck that is pulling the trailer 15.
The trailer cameras 12 and 12a may be coupled to the image processor 30 by wired or wireless connection 13 and 13a, respectively. The image processor 30 may be located in the one or both of the cameras 12 and 12a, which may be coupled to the display 40 by wired or wireless connection. By including the image processor 30 in one of the cameras and wirelessly transmitting the images to the display, the transmitted bandwidth may be reduced by a factor of about 90:1 versus having the camera wirelessly communicate with the image processor 30. The image processor 30 may alternatively be co-located with the display 40 in the vehicle 25. The image processor 30 may select the images from the second camera 12a when the vehicle 25 is not coupled to the trailer 15 and the vehicle is backing up while within range for wireless communication with the second trailer camera 12a. Then, when the vehicle 25 and the trailer 15 are coupled, the image processor 30 may select the images from the first trailer camera 12 and may otherwise select to process images from vehicle camera(s) 20 for display on the display 40 when the vehicle 25 is not coupled to the trailer 15 and not within range for wireless communication with the trailer cameras 12, 12a.
The display 40 may be configured for mounting within a rearview assembly mounted to one of a roof and a windshield of the vehicle 25. Thus, the display 40 may serve as a replacement or supplement to an internal rearview mirror. The display 40 could also be provided anywhere else in the vehicle such as in a center stack of an instrument panel.
The image processor 30 may receive an input indicating whether the vehicle is in a reverse gear. When the vehicle 25 is not in reverse, the image processor 30 may only read the rearward third image 55 from the image sensor 14 of the first trailer camera 12 and formats the rearward third image for display across the entire display 40 as shown in
Although the above description pertains to trailer cameras 12 and 12a, one or more of the vehicle cameras 20 may be mounted such that it captures first images from a field of view having a horizontal angle and a vertical angle where the vertical angle is greater than the horizontal angle where the field of view has an aspect ratio of about 9:16. The image processor 30 may likewise crop the first images received from the vehicle camera 20 into a second image and a third image, where the second image is of a lower field of view encompassing either a hitch mounted to the vehicle 25 or a bed of the vehicle 25, and the third image is of a higher field of view such as rearward of the vehicle 25, for example. The image processor 30 may select either one or both of the second and third images for display on the display 40 depending on an input received by the image processor 30 (i.e., vehicle gear, vehicle speed, user input, ultrasonic back-up signal, etc.)
Another example of a vehicle camera 20 used on a vehicle is shown in
By providing an imaging and display system that reads two non-contiguous images from a single camera, the system may use a single camera where two cameras would otherwise be provided.
It should further be noted that camera 12 and/or 12a (or an additional camera) may be provided inside or outside of the trailer 15 to capture images inside the trailer or outside the trailer. If provided inside the trailer, the cargo (e.g., livestock) may be monitored. Further, the trailer camera(s) may be powered by the trailer (or other batteries) and repurposed to be used as security camera(s) for monitoring the area around and inside the trailer 15. Video may be streamed and/or recorded for real-time or subsequent viewing on display 40 or on a user's phone.
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” (in all of its forms, couple, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Such joining may be permanent in nature or may be removable or releasable in nature unless otherwise stated.
It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the disclosure as shown in the exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.
It will be understood that any described processes or steps within described processes may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting.
The above description is considered that of the preferred embodiments only. Modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.
This application claims priority under U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. provisional Application No. 62/948,962 filed on Dec. 17, 2019, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CAPTURING AND DISPLAYING IMAGES FROM A VEHICLE/TRAILER CAMERA,” and U.S. provisional Application No. 63/021,911 filed on May 8, 2020, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CAPTURING AND DISPLAYING IMAGES FROM A VEHICLE/TRAILER CAMERA,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62948962 | Dec 2019 | US | |
| 63021911 | May 2020 | US |
