Automotive construction machine and method for displaying the surroundings of an automotive construction machine

A method of displaying an image of the surroundings of an automotive construction machine, the construction machine including a machine frame, front and rear running gears, a working tool supported from the machine frame for removing ground material from a ground surface, and a plurality of lifting devices, each lifting device supporting the machine frame from one of the running gears so that each lifting device can be retracted and extended to raise or lower the respective running gear in relation to the machine frame so that a height and an incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface can be changed, the method comprising:

• (a) detecting a respective lifting position for each of the plurality of lifting devices, and determining from the lifting positions of the lifting devices at least the incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface;
• (b) recording overlapping individual image regions of the construction machine surroundings from different image recording positions using a plurality of cameras supported from the machine frame;
• (c) joining together image details of the individual image regions to form a total image from a bird's eye view, and determining a course of stitching between the image details depending on at least the incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface;
• and
• (d) displaying the total image.

An automotive front loader construction machine, comprising:

• a machine frame having a working direction and including a front side, a rear side, a left-hand longitudinal side and a right-hand longitudinal side;
• a transport conveyor extending in the working direction from the front side of the machine frame;
• front and rear running gears;
• a working tool connected to the machine frame for removing ground material from a ground surface;
• a plurality of lifting devices, each lifting device supporting the machine frame from one of the running gears, so that each lifting device can be retracted and extended to raise or lower the respective running gear in relation to the machine frame so that a height and an incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface can be changed;
• a sensor system configured to detect at least one of the height and the incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface;
• a camera system including a plurality of cameras arranged to record overlapping individual image regions of surroundings of the construction machine from different image recording positions relative to the machine frame, wherein the plurality of cameras includes
• a left-hand front camera and a right-hand front camera located to the left and right, respectively, from the transport conveyor and facing substantially forward so that two front image regions that overlap are recorded;
• a left-hand camera facing to the left from left-hand longitudinal side so that a left-hand image region is recorded;
• a right-hand camera facing to the right from the right-hand longitudinal side so that a right-hand image region is recorded;
• and
• a rear camera facing rearward from the rear side so that a rear image region is recorded;
• an image processing system operably associated with the sensor system and configured such that image details of the overlapping individual image regions are joined together to form a total image from a bird's eye view, and the image processing system being further configured such that a course of stitching between the image details is determined depending on at least one of the height and the incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface;
• and
• a display unit configured to display the total image.

An automotive rear loader construction machine, comprising:

• a machine frame having a working direction and including a front side, a rear side, a left-hand longitudinal side and a right-hand longitudinal side;
• a transport conveyor extending in the working direction from the rear side of the machine frame;
• front and rear running gears;
• a working tool connected to the machine frame for removing ground material from a ground surface;
• a plurality of lifting devices, each lifting device supporting the machine frame from one of the running gears, so that each lifting device can be retracted and extended to raise or lower the respective running gear in relation to the machine frame so that a height and an incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface can be changed;
• a sensor system configured to detect at least one of the height and the incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface;
• a camera system including a plurality of cameras arranged to record overlapping individual image regions of surroundings of the construction machine from different image recording positions relative to the machine frame, wherein the plurality of cameras includes
• a left-hand rear camera and a right-hand rear camera located to the left and right, respectively, from the transport conveyor and facing substantially rearward so that two rear image regions that overlap are recorded;
• a left-hand camera facing to the left from left-hand longitudinal side so that a left-hand image region is recorded;
• a right-hand camera facing to the right from the right-hand longitudinal side so that a right-hand image region is recorded;
• and
• a front camera facing forward from the front side so that a front image region is recorded;
• an image processing system operably associated with the sensor system and configured such that image details of the overlapping individual image regions are joined together to form a total image from a bird's eye view, and the image processing system being further configured such that a course of stitching between the image details is determined depending on at least one of the height and the incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface;
• and
• a display unit configured to display the total image.

A method of displaying an image of the surroundings of an automotive front loader construction machine, the construction machine including a machine frame, a transport conveyor on a front side, front and rear running gears, a working tool supported from the machine frame for removing ground material from a ground surface, and a plurality of lifting devices, each lifting device supporting the machine frame from one of the running gears so that each lifting device can be retracted and extended to raise or lower the respective running gear in relation to the machine frame so that a height and an incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface can be changed, the method comprising:

• (a) detecting at least one of the height and the incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface;
• (b) recording overlapping individual image regions of the construction machine surroundings from different image recording positions using a plurality of cameras supported from the machine frame, wherein the overlapping image regions include:
• left and right overlapping front image regions recorded using two front cameras arranged on left and right sides, respectively, of the transport conveyor;
• a left-hand image region recorded using a left-hand camera on a left-hand longitudinal side of the construction machine;
• a right-hand image region recorded using a right-hand camera on a right-hand longitudinal side of the construction machine;
• and
• a rear image region recorded using a rear camera;
• (c) joining together image details of the individual image regions to form a total image from a bird's eye view, and determining a course of stitching between the image details depending on at least one of the height and the incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface;
• and
• (d) displaying the total image.

A method of displaying an image of the surroundings of an automotive rear loader construction machine, the construction machine including a machine frame, a transport conveyor on a front side, front and rear running gears, a working tool supported from the machine frame for removing ground material from a ground surface, and a plurality of lifting devices, each lifting device supporting the machine frame from one of the running gears so that each lifting device can be retracted and extended to raise or lower the respective running gear in relation to the machine frame so that a height and an incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface can be changed, the method comprising:

• (a) detecting at least one of the height and the incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface;
• (b) recording overlapping individual image regions of the construction machine surroundings from different image recording positions using a plurality of cameras supported from the machine frame, wherein the overlapping image regions include:
• left and right overlapping rear image regions recorded using two rear cameras arranged on left and right sides, respectively, of the transport conveyor;
• a left-hand image region recorded using a left-hand camera on a left-hand longitudinal side of the construction machine;
• a right-hand image region recorded using a right-hand camera on a right-hand longitudinal side of the construction machine;
• and
• a front image region recorded using a front camera;
• (c) joining together image details of the individual image regions to form a total image from a bird's eye view, and determining a course of stitching between the image details depending on at least one of the height and the incline of the machine frame in relation to the ground surface;
• and
• (d) displaying the total image.