Dynamic imaging system

Inventors

Humbert, Thomas E. • Hoffmeyer, Leah R. • Falb, David M.

Assignees

Gentex Corp Carbondale

Abstract

A dynamic imaging system is disclosed. The dynamic imaging system may comprise one or more imager, one or more input device, a controller, and/or a display. Each imager may be operable to capture a video stream having a field of view. In some embodiments, the controller may articulate the imager or crop the field of view to change the field of view in response to signals from the one or more input devices. For example, the signal may relate to the vehicle's speed. In other embodiments, the controller may apply a warp to the field of view. The warp may be applied in response to signals from the one or more input devices. In yet other embodiments, video streams from one or more imagers may be stitched together by the controller. Further, the controller may likewise move the stitch line in response to signals from the or more input devices.

Core Innovation

A vehicle dynamic imaging system captures a first video stream of a scene exterior the vehicle with a first field of view. The system receives an input signal corresponding to a speed of the vehicle and produces a second video stream cropped from the first video stream, where the second field of view is different from the first field of view and narrows with increasing vehicle speed.

A controller receives the first video stream and the input signal and generates the second video stream for display. The controller is operable to receive a manual over-ride, and the second field of view is defined using obscuring a periphery portion of the first field of view, with the scene optionally restricted to be rearward relative to the vehicle.

Another aspect generates a composite video stream from overlapping video streams by cropping along a stitch line located in an overlapping region and disposing the cropped streams adjacent one another in abutting contact. The location of the stitch line within the overlapping region is based, at least in part, on the input signal, and multiple stitch lines can be used when additional video streams are included.

Claims Coverage

The provided material includes three independent claims for systems or devices. Across them, the inventive features focus on speed-based field-of-view cropping with manual override and periphery obscuring, stitch-line placement for compositing overlapping video streams in abutting contact based on an input signal, and input-signal-based warping of a video stream for display.

The independent claims cover vehicle video capture and display processing: speed-based cropping that narrows the field of view, compositing overlapping streams by cropping along a stitch line placed according to an input signal, and warping a video stream region with the warp based on an input signal.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications