Magna Electronics Inc.

Aleksandar Stefanovic

Nikhil Gupta

Horst Daniel Diessner

Richard C Bozich

Anant Kumar Lall

Jyothi P Gali

Galina Okouneva

Hilda Faraji

Brijendra Kumar Bharti

Sharon Zibman

Xai Phan

Marko Vico

Miad Moarref

A method for determining a safe state for a vehicle includes disposing a camera at a vehicle and disposing an electronic control unit (ECU) at the vehicle. Frames of image data are captured by the camera and provided to the ECU. An image processor of the ECU processes frames of image data captured by the camera. A condition is determined via processing at the image processor of the ECU frames of image data captured by the camera. The condition includes a shadow present in the field of view of the camera within ten frames of image data captured by the camera or a damaged condition of the imager within two minutes of operation of the camera. The ECU determines a safe state for the vehicle responsive to determining the condition.

Vehicle vision system with object detection failsafe

A method for determining a safe state for a vehicle includes disposing a camera at a vehicle and disposing an electronic control unit (ECU) at the vehicle. Image data is captured via the camera and provided to the ECU. An image processor of the ECU processes captured image data. A condition is determined via processing at the image processor of the ECU captured image data. The condition comprises a shadow present in the field of view of the camera within ten frames of captured image data or a damaged condition of the imager within two minutes of operation of the camera. The condition is indicative of a condition where processing of captured image data degrades in performance. The ECU determines a safe state for the vehicle responsive to determining the condition.

A vehicular trailer hitching assist system includes a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the vehicle. An electronic control unit (ECU) includes an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera. The ECU, via image processing of image data captured by the camera, detects a trailer rearward of the vehicle and determines a first path of travel for the vehicle to follow to maneuver the vehicle toward the trailer and to align the tow ball of the vehicle with a trailer hitch of the trailer. The ECU generates an output to maneuver the vehicle along the determined first path of travel. Responsive to detection of an object entering the first path of travel, the ECU determines a second path of travel for the vehicle to follow that avoids the detected object entering the determined path of travel.

Vehicular trailer hitching assist system

A trailer hitching assist system for a vehicle includes a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle and having a field of view rearward of the vehicle. A control includes an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera. The image processor, via image processing of image data captured by the camera, detects a trailer and trailer hitch rearward of the vehicle and determines a first path of travel for the vehicle to follow so as to maneuver the vehicle so as to have its tow ball aligned with the trailer hitch. The control maneuvers the vehicle along the determined first path of travel. Responsive to detection of an object entering the first path of travel, the control determines a second path of travel and maneuvers the vehicle along the second path of travel to avoid the detected object entering the determined path of travel.

Vehicle trailer hitch assist system

A vision system for a vehicle includes a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle. A processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera. The vision system determines conditions where processing of captured image data degrades in performance due to environmental conditions. The vision system, responsive to a determined condition, determines a safe state for image processing of captured image data for that determined condition. A failsafe algorithm, responsive to processing of image data captured by the camera and responsive to the determined condition, and in accordance with the determined safe state for that determined condition, determines true negatives and avoids false positives and false negatives.

A method of calibrating a vehicular camera installed in a vehicle, with the camera having an imager and a camera microcontroller, includes searching for and/or determining a reference point in the images and adjusting the position of an overlay applied to displayed images depending on the reference point. The method may include comparing the determined reference point's actual position to its expected position and determining an offset amount with which to shift the overlay on the images displayed at an in-vehicle display responsive to the determined offset amount, and adjusting the position of the overlay applied to the images displayed at the in-vehicle display responsive to the determined offset amount.

Method of calibrating a vehicular camera

In a first aspect, the invention is directed to a vehicular camera and a method for calibrating the camera after it has been installed in a vehicle. In particular, the invention is directed to calibrating a vehicular camera after the camera has been installed in a vehicle, wherein the camera is of a type that applies an overlay to an image and outputs the image with the overlay to an in-vehicle display.

Growing community of inventors

Mississauga, Canada

Aleksandar Stefanovic