Magna Electronics Inc.

Christian Weber

Horst Daniel Diessner

Sebastian Pliefke

Thomas Wierich

Michael Junglas

A vehicular trailer backup assist system is operable to steer a vehicle, with a trailer connected at the rear of the vehicle, during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle and trailer. The system electronically overlays a plurality of zones over displayed video images, with each individual zone of the overlayed plurality of zones being indicative of a respective individual region rearward of the vehicle and trailer. Responsive to a selected zone of travel for the trailer, the control controls steering of the vehicle to steer the vehicle to guide the trailer towards the respective individual region that is encompassed by the selected zone of travel during reversing of the vehicle and trailer. The driver of the vehicle manually adjusts steering of the vehicle to more accurately steer the vehicle towards a target location within the respective individual region that is encompassed by the selected zone of travel.

Vehicular trailer backup assist system

A display system for a vehicle includes a head-up display unit operable to display, at a display area at a windshield of the vehicle, information that is viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the driver is normally operating the vehicle. The head-up display unit includes a K&#xf6;hler illuminator having a light source and an optical element. A reconfigurable mask is backlit by K&#xf6;hler illumination generated by the K&#xf6;hler illuminator.

Display unit for vehicle head-up display system

A trailer backup assist system of a vehicle includes a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior and rearward of the vehicle. An image processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera. With a trailer connected at the rear of the vehicle, the image processor is operable to determine an angle of the trailer relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. A user input is operable by a user to select a general direction or zone of travel of the trailer during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle. Responsive to the determined trailer angle and the selected zone of travel, the trailer backup assist system is operable to control the steering of the vehicle to drive the vehicle and trailer rearward such that the trailer travels generally towards a region encompassed by the selected direction or zone of travel.

Trailer backup assist system

A traffic light alert system for a vehicle includes a camera, a processor that processes image data captured by the camera to determine a signal status of a traffic light present ahead of the vehicle, and a global positioning system operable to determine a current geographical location of the vehicle. A display device is operable to display an iconistic traffic light representation. Responsive to determination, via processing of image data captured by the camera, that the traffic light ahead of and being approached by the vehicle has a particular signal status, a control controls the display device so that the displayed iconistic traffic light representation indicates the determined particular signal status. The control adjusts orientation of the displayed iconistic traffic light representation between horizontal orientation and vertical orientation responsive to the current geographic location of the vehicle as determined by the global positioning system of the vehicle.

Driver assistance system with traffic light alert

A vision system of a vehicle includes a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The camera includes an imager and a lens. The imager includes a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements. With the camera disposed at the vehicle, the lens has an outer surface that is exposed to an environment exterior of the vehicle, and the outer surface of the lens includes a central portion and a lower portion, with the lower portion below the central portion when the camera is disposed at the vehicle. A water removal element is disposed at the lower portion of the lens. The water removal element is configured to cause a water droplet that collects at the lower portion of the outer surface of the lens to drain from the outer surface of the lens.

Vehicle vision system camera with enhanced water removal

A method for displaying video images includes providing a control having an image processor operable to process image data captured by cameras of a vehicular multi-camera vision system, and disposing a display device in the vehicle that is viewable by a driver of the vehicle, with the display device having a video display screen that displays video images derived at least in part from image data captured by at least one of the cameras. A display intensity of video images displayed by the video display screen is controlled and, responsive to determination of a reduction in exterior ambient light level within the field of view of the at least one of the cameras, the display intensity of video images displayed by the video display screen is held to within 15 percent of the display intensity that was displayed before the determination of the reduction in exterior ambient light level.

Vehicle vision system with enhanced low light capabilities

A vehicular multi-camera vision system includes a plurality of cameras and a control having an image processor operable to process image data captured by the cameras. The control is operable to control a display intensity of video images displayed by a video display screen. Responsive to a determination of a reduction in exterior ambient light level within the field of view of at least one of the cameras, the control holds display intensity of video images displayed by the video display screen to within 15 percent of the display intensity that was displayed before the determination of the reduction in exterior ambient light level by (a) adjusting an exposure time for image data capture by at least some of the cameras and by (b) adjusting a frame rate of image data capture by at least one of the cameras and/or) adjusting a gain of at least one of the cameras.

A traffic light alert system of a vehicle includes a display operable to display an iconistic traffic light representation with a background surrounding the displayed iconistic traffic light representation. A control is operable to adjust the display responsive to a determination of a status of a traffic light ahead of the vehicle and being approached by the vehicle. Responsive to determination of the traffic light ahead of the vehicle and determination that the traffic light has a particular signal status, the control controls the display so that the iconistic traffic light representation indicates the determined particular signal status and the surrounding background is displayed in a particular color associated with the determined particular signal status.

A vision system of a vehicle includes a camera, a control and a display device. The camera is disposed at a vehicle and has a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The camera includes a two dimensional array of a plurality of photosensing elements. The control has an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera. The display device is viewable by a driver of the vehicle and includes a video display screen. Responsive to a determination of a reduction in light level at the imaged scene, the control is operable to adjust at least one of (i) an exposure time for image capture by the camera and (ii) a frame rate of image capture by the camera. The control is operable to adjust the camera to control the display intensity of video images displayed by the video display screen.

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Karlsbad, Germany

Christian Weber