Magna Electronics Inc.

Richard D Shriner

Yuesheng Lu

Joel S Gibson

Steven V Byrne

Duane W Gebauer

Patrick A Miller

Michael J Higgins-Luthman

Nazar F Bally

Brett Harris

A vehicular vision system includes a camera disposed at a vehicle, an electronic control unit, and a video display disposed in the vehicle. The system, responsive to processing of captured image data, displays video images on the video display. The system retrieves graphic overlay data from memory. The graphic overlay data represents a plurality of graphic overlay portions, with each graphic overlay portion being associated with a respective display portion of a plurality of display portions of the video display. Responsive to occurrence of a driving condition, the system retrieves graphic overlay data, displays the graphic overlay portions, and adjusts a transparency of one or more of the displayed graphic overlay portions such that at least one displayed graphic overlay portion is viewable by the driver and at least one other displayed graphic overlay portion is not viewable by the driver.

Vehicular vision system with reduced memory for adaptable graphic overlays

A vehicular backing up assistance system includes a rearview camera at a rear portion of a vehicle, the vehicle being a vehicle family member of a particular family of pickup trucks. The system receives first input data that corresponds to the vehicle configuration of the vehicle. When the vehicle is backing up, the system receives second input data corresponding to steering angle of the vehicle. The system displays a predicted trajectory of the vehicle at the in-cabin display as an overlay overlaying the images captured by the rearview camera being displayed at the in-cabin display. The overlay comprises a pair of guidelines that are spaced apart and that are appropriate to (i) the wheelbase of the vehicle configuration of a plurality of vehicle configurations of the particular family of pickup trucks the rearview camera is mounted at and (ii) a current steering angle of the vehicle.

Vehicular backing up assistance system

A method for guiding reversing of a vehicle includes displaying, via a video display screen of the vehicle, and responsive to the vehicle being shifted into reverse gear, video images derived from image data captured by a rear backup camera of the vehicle. Responsive to actuation of an input by the driver of the vehicle, an alignment overlay is generated and electronically superimposed on the displayed video images to assist the driver in reversing the vehicle toward a trailer hitch of a trailer. The alignment overlay extends longitudinally rearward from a central region of the vehicle displayed in the displayed video images. The input is an actuatable input other than the vehicle being shifted into reverse gear. The alignment overlay is adjusted responsive to change in steering angle of the vehicle while the driver is executing the reversing maneuver of the vehicle.

System and method for guiding reversing of a vehicle toward a trailer hitch

A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of cameras and an ECU. The cameras are in communication with one another via a vehicle network and image data captured by the cameras is provided to the ECU. Responsive to a type of driving maneuver of the vehicle, (i) the ECU generates a first control signal that enables automatic control of exposure, gain and white balance of one camera of the plurality of cameras and (ii) the ECU generates respective second control signals that disable automatic control of exposure, gain and white balance of at least one other camera of the plurality of cameras. Responsive to processing of captured image data, composite video images derived from image data captured by the plurality of cameras are synthesized, and composite images are displayed that provides bird's eye view video images derived from video image data captured by the cameras.

Vehicular vision system with video display

A vehicular vision system includes a camera, a distance sensor and a controller having at least one processor. Image data captured by the camera and sensor data captured by the distance sensor are processed at the controller. The controller, responsive to processing of captured image data and of captured sensor data, detects an object. The controller determines the distance to the detected object based at least in part on difference between the positions of the detected object in captured image data and in captured sensor data. The controller, responsive to processing of captured image data and of captured sensor data, and responsive to the determined distance to the detected object, determines that the detected object represents a collision risk. The controller alerts a driver of the vehicle of the collision risk and/or controls the vehicle to mitigate the collision risk.

Vehicular vision system

A method for displaying video images includes providing a plurality of cameras and an ECU at the vehicle. The cameras are in communication with one another via a vehicle network and the ECU is in communication with the cameras via respective data lines. During a driving maneuver of the vehicle, one of the cameras is designated as and functions as a master camera and other cameras are designated as and function as slave cameras. During the driving maneuver, automatic control of exposure, gain and white balance parameters of the designated master camera is enabled, and the exposure, gain and white balance parameters of the designated master camera are communicated to the designated slave cameras via the vehicle network. A composite image is displayed that provides bird's eye view video images derived from video image data captured by at least the designated master camera and the designated slave cameras.

Method for displaying video images for a vehicular vision system

A vehicular backup assistance system includes a rear backup camera for a rear portion of any vehicle family member of a particular family of vehicles that includes a plurality of vehicle configurations, with each vehicle family member of the particular family of vehicles having a vehicle configuration that is different than the vehicle configuration of any other vehicle family member of the particular family of vehicles. A processor and a display are at a vehicle family member having the particular vehicle configuration of the particular family of vehicles. During a reversing maneuver, and based on the wheelbase of the particular vehicle configuration of the particular family of vehicles and based at least in part on a current steering angle of the vehicle family member, the processor generates a predicted vehicle trajectory that is displayed at the display as a dynamic overlay overlaying the images captured by the rear backup camera.

Vehicular backup assistance system

A vehicular vision system includes a camera, a distance sensor and a controller having at least one processor, where image data captured by the camera and sensor data captured by the distance sensor are processed at the controller. The controller, responsive to processing of captured image data and of captured sensor data, detects an object. The controller determines the distance to the detected object based at least in part on difference between the positions of the detected object in captured image data and in captured sensor data. The controller, responsive to processing of captured image data and of captured sensor data, and responsive to the determined distance to the detected object, determines that the detected object represents a collision risk. The controller informs a driver of the vehicle of the collision risk and/or controls the vehicle to mitigate the collision risk.

An imaging system for a vehicle includes a rear backup camera and a video display screen for displaying video images derived from image data captured by the rear backup camera. The imaging system generates a backup overlay and an alignment overlay that are electronically superimposed on the displayed video images to assist a driver of the vehicle when executing a backup maneuver. The backup overlay includes a pair of side overlays superimposed on the displayed video images and the alignment overlay is superimposed on the displayed video images between the side overlays. The video display screen displays the video images and the backup overlay is generated responsive to the vehicle being shifted into reverse gear. The alignment overlay is generated responsive to a user input.

Imaging system for vehicle

A method for displaying video images includes providing a plurality of cameras and an electronic control unit at the vehicle. One of the cameras functions as a master camera and other cameras function as slave cameras. During a forward driving maneuver of the vehicle, the forward viewing camera functions as the master camera and at least the driver-side sideward viewing and passenger-side sideward viewing cameras function as slave cameras, during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle, the rearward viewing camera functions as the master camera and at least the driver-side sideward viewing and passenger-side sideward viewing cameras function as slave cameras. Exposure, gain and white balance parameters of the master camera are used at least by the master camera and the slave cameras. A composite image is displayed, with adjacent image sections of the composite image appearing uniform in brightness and/or color at the borders of the image sections.

A method for providing backup assistance includes providing a rear backup camera and a processor at a vehicle, and storing a plurality of mathematical formulas in memory, with each stored formula associated with a respective vehicle wheelbase configuration. A wheelbase configuration input is provided that is representative of the wheelbase configuration of the vehicle. Responsive at least in part to the input, a mathematical formula is selected from the stored formulas. Responsive to a steering angle input, the processor selects a value to be input into the selected mathematical formula. During the reversing maneuver of the vehicle, a predicted vehicle trajectory overlay is generated by calculating, via the selected mathematical formula and using the selected value, an overlay representative of the predicted vehicle trajectory of the vehicle. The predicted vehicle trajectory overlay is superimposed over displayed video images for viewing by the driver of the vehicle during the reversing maneuver.

Driver backup assistance system for vehicle

A vision system of a vehicle includes a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The camera is operable to capture image data. The camera includes a circuit board and an imager disposed at the circuit board. An image processor is disposed at the circuit board, which has circuitry disposed thereat. The image processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera. Signals to and from the image processor are provided on at least one shared line connected between an electrical connector of the camera and a vehicle control of the vehicle. The at least one shared line includes at least one combined camera control and camera programming line. Signals carried on the combined camera control and camera programming line (i) control operation of the camera and (ii) program the camera.

Rear vision system for vehicle with dual purpose signal lines

A camera module configured to be mounted at a vehicle includes a housing, a lens, an imager, circuitry and an electrical connector. A wireless communication device is operable to wirelessly communicate with a remote device. The wireless communication device is operable to wirelessly communicate an OEM part number associated with the camera module and at least one of (i) a build date of the camera module and (ii) a serial number of the camera module. Circuitry of the camera module is programmable via wireless communication received from the remote device. The camera module may be wirelessly tracked at least one of (i) during shipping of the camera module to a vehicle assembly plant, (ii) while the camera module is at a vehicle assembly plant and (iii) while the camera module is mounted at a vehicle.

Vehicular camera module with remote device communication

A method for providing backup assistance includes providing a rear backup camera and a processor at a vehicle, and storing a plurality of sets of overlays in memory, with each set of the stored plurality of sets of overlays associated with a respective vehicle wheelbase configuration. A wheelbase configuration input is provided that is representative of the vehicle wheelbase configuration of the vehicle. Responsive at least in part to the input, a particular set of overlays from the stored sets of overlays is selected, with the selected set including a plurality of individual predicted vehicle trajectory overlays that correspond to respective steering angle ranges for the vehicle wheelbase configuration of the vehicle. Responsive at least in part to a steering angle of the vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle, an individual predicted vehicle trajectory overlay is selected for displaying for viewing by the vehicle driver.

Driver assistance system for vehicle

A vehicular camera includes a lens, an image processor configured to receive images from the lens, and a microcontroller containing flash memory. The microcontroller is connected to the image processor by a first bus through which command data is communicated to the image processor from the microcontroller. The command data includes application instructions to draw application data from a selected point in the flash memory. The microcontroller is connected to the image processor by a second bus through which application data is communicated to the image processor from the flash memory.

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Grand Blanc, MI, United States of America

Richard D Shriner