Enhanced front curb viewing system

A system for providing enhanced images of an area in front of a vehicle, said system comprising:

• a first camera mounted at the left front of the vehicle;
• a second camera mounted at the right front of the vehicle;
• a video acquisition device in communication with the first and second cameras, said video acquisition device receiving raw images from the first and second cameras;
• a user input device for allowing a driver of the vehicle to signal that he or she wants to activate a front curb view display;
• a heuristics module for detecting a frontal parking maneuver, said heuristics module including a vehicle state module for evaluating vehicle speed and steering angle, an image analysis module for detecting a curb or parking space ahead of the vehicle, and a map module for determining from Global Positioning System and digital map data that the vehicle is in a parking lot;
• a learning module in communication with the heuristics module and the user input device, the learning module configured to:
• (A) determine when to activate a front curb view display based on (1) preprogrammed learning based on parking view display preferences of a general population of drivers and (2) adaptive learning based on parking view display preferences of the driver of the vehicle;
• and
• (B) determine what views to include in the front curb view display based on (1) the preprogrammed learning based on the parking view display preferences of the general population of drivers and (2) the adaptive learning based on the parking view display preferences of the driver of the vehicle;
• and
• a processor including a memory module, said processor being configured to determine activate the front curb view display in response to signals from the user input device, the heuristics module, and the learning module and to generate the front curb view display including enhanced images synthesized from the raw images from the first and second cameras;
• and
• a display unit in a cockpit area of the vehicle for displaying the front curb view display from the processor for viewing by a driver of the vehicle.

A method for providing enhanced front curb viewing in a vehicle, said method comprising:

• determining a vehicle speed by reading a vehicle speed signal from a vehicle speed sensor;
• determining whether to activate a front curb view display based on whether the vehicle speed is below a speed threshold;
• determining whether to activate the front curb view display based on whether a vehicle driver has selected the front curb view display;
• determining when to activate a front curb view display based on (1) preprogrammed learning based on parking view display preferences of a general population of drivers and (2) adaptive learning based on parking view display preferences of the driver of the vehicle;
• and
• determining what views to include in the front curb view display based on (1) the preprogrammed learning based on the parking view display preferences of the general population of drivers and (2) the adaptive learning based on the parking view display preferences of the driver of the vehicle;
• and
• selectively activating the front curb view display;
• processing, using a microprocessor, signals from front-mounted cameras on the vehicle to produce enhanced front curb viewing images for the front curb view display;
• and
• displaying the front curb view display including the enhanced front curb viewing images on a display device for viewing by the driver.