Vision system for vehicle

#The present invention relates to imaging systems or vision systems for vehicles.

#Use of imaging sensors in vehicle imaging systems is common and known. Examples of such known systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,949,331; 5,670,935; and/or 5,550,677, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

#The present invention provides a vision system or imaging system for a vehicle that utilizes one or more cameras to capture images exterior of the vehicle, and provides the communication/data signals, including camera data or image data that is processed and, responsive to such image processing, detects an object at or near the vehicle and in the path of travel of the vehicle, such as when the vehicle is backing up. The present invention transfers the intelligence from the camera to an image displaying device or image display or cluster, central display or head unit (later referred as head unit or HU) or to a mobile device wired or wireless connected or attached to- or plugged into the head unit (as an app). The data transfer rate can be enhanced by LVDS having raw data transmitted as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,979,536, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Optionally, the users may be served with dump rear cameras, with DAS software functions, running independent and remote from the camera, but not in another control device. Thus, a business model may be provided that sells an app, not the hardware, to the end users or consumers.

#FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle with a vision system and imaging sensors or cameras that provide exterior fields of view in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic of an automotive vision camera for providing data and getting controlled from an image processing control device, with the image processing control device providing image data to a head unit or other display device;

#FIG. 3A is a schematic of an automotive vision camera with graphic processing board incorporated within the same device, whereby the processed image data gets provided to a head unit or other display device;

#A driver assist system and/or vision system and/or object detection system and/or alert system may operate to capture images exterior of the vehicle and process the captured image data to detect objects at or near the vehicle and in the predicted path of the vehicle, such as to assist a driver of the vehicle in maneuvering the vehicle in a rearward direction. The object detection may utilize detection and analysis of moving vectors representative of objects detected in the field of view of the vehicle camera, in order to determine which detected objects are objects of interest to the driver of the vehicle, such as when the driver of the vehicle undertakes a reversing maneuver.

#Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a vehicle 10 includes an imaging system or vision system 12 that includes one or more imaging sensors or cameras (such as a rearward facing imaging sensor or camera 14a and/or a forwardly facing camera 14b at the front (or at the windshield) of the vehicle, and/or a sidewardly/rearwardly facing camera 14c, 14b at the sides of the vehicle), which capture images exterior of the vehicle, with the cameras having a lens for focusing images at or onto an imaging array or imaging plane of the camera (FIG. 1). The vision system 12 is operable to process image data captured by the cameras and may provide displayed images at a display device 16 for viewing by the driver of the vehicle. Optionally, the vision system may process image data to detect objects, such as objects to the rear of the subject or equipped vehicle during a reversing maneuver, or such as approaching or following vehicles or vehicles at a side lane adjacent to the subject or equipped vehicle or the like. Optionally, the object detection may utilize detection and analysis of moving vectors representative of objects detected in the field of view of the vehicle camera, in order to determine which detected objects are objects of interest to the driver of the vehicle, such as when the driver of the vehicle undertakes a reversing maneuver (such as by utilizing aspects of the systems described in U.S. provisional applications, Ser. No. 61/605,409, filed Mar. 1, 2012; and Ser. No. 61/563,965, filed Nov. 28, 2011, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

#Vehicle vision systems typically use sophisticated image processing algorithms. For example, either the algorithm runs on a hardware which is integrated to a vision camera or the algorithm runs on an external control device collecting and processing the incoming camera raw data, and then sends a processed image data stream to a display device, cluster or head unit. Vehicle displays vehicle vision systems may be provided at multi-media head units (such as by utilizing aspects of the mirror assemblies described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,937,667, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), and may process several input sources, such that processing power is adapted accordingly. Optionally, a system may visualize and control the apps running on a mobile infotainment device or mobile phone which is connected to or in communication with the head unit, either wirelessly (near field communication, BLUETOOTH®, and the like) or plugged in. It is known to control the app interactively and depending on the driving situation.