System and method for providing a composite image of a vehicle and its surroundings

A system for providing a composite image of a surrounding area of a vehicle, comprising:

• a plurality of cameras, each camera taking a captured image of the surrounding area of the vehicle, wherein a first camera acquires a first captured image, and a second camera acquires a second captured image, the first captured image and the second captured image being at least partially overlapped;
• at least one controller receives and combines at least the first captured image and the second captured image provided to the composite image, wherein the at least one controller comprises a first control unit inside of the first camera and a second control unit inside of the second camera,
• a composite image processor defines a first region of interest within the first captured image and a second region of interest within the second captured image;
• and
• wherein each of the at least one controller is further configured to detect a brightness and a color of the respective first region of interest and second region of interest and to adjust the brightness and the color of the respective first captured image to create an adjusted first captured image and to adjust the brightness and the color of the second captured image to create an adjusted second captured image before being combined,
• wherein the composite image processor receives and combines the adjusted first captured image and the adjusted second captured image provided to the composite image of the surrounding area of the vehicle, wherein the first region of interest is different from the second region of interest in size and location,
• wherein the first region of interest has a size of between 25%-80% of the first captured image, and the second region of interest has a size of between 25%-80% of the second captured image,
• wherein the size, shape, and location of the first region of interest and second region of interest are pre-defined by the at least one controller when the vehicle is not in operation, and
• wherein the first and second regions of interest include substantially only the surrounding area of the vehicle.

A method for providing a composite image of a surrounding area of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• capturing an image by each of a plurality of cameras, wherein a first camera acquires a first captured image, and a second camera acquires a second captured image, the first captured image and the second captured image being at least partially overlapped;
• defining a first region of interest when the vehicle is not in operation having a size of between 25%-80% of the first captured image, and wherein the first region of interest includes substantially only a first portion of the surrounding area of the vehicle;
• defining a second region of interest when the vehicle is not in operation having a size of between 25%-80% of the second captured image, and wherein the first region of interest includes substantially only a second portion of the surrounding area of the vehicle;
• adjusting the at least one of the brightness and the color of the first region of interest of the first captured image to create a first adjusted image and adjusting the brightness and color of the second region interest of the second captured image to create a second adjusted image;
• storing the first adjusted image and the second adjusted image in a composite image processor;
• and
• combining the first adjusted image and the second adjusted image to form a composite image of the surrounding area of the vehicle.