WO2018029007A2 - Method for monitoring an environmental region of a motor vehicle, camera monitor system as well as vehicle/trailer combination with a camera monitor system - Google Patents

Method for monitoring an environmental region of a motor vehicle, camera monitor system as well as vehicle/trailer combination with a camera monitor system Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2018029007A2
WO2018029007A2 PCT/EP2017/069034 EP2017069034W WO2018029007A2 WO 2018029007 A2 WO2018029007 A2 WO 2018029007A2 EP 2017069034 W EP2017069034 W EP 2017069034W WO 2018029007 A2 WO2018029007 A2 WO 2018029007A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
data
motor vehicle
transmitted
camera
trailer
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2017/069034
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2018029007A3 (en
Inventor
Enda Peter Ward
Mike Togher
Fergal O'MALLEY
Original Assignee
Connaught Electronics Ltd.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Connaught Electronics Ltd. filed Critical Connaught Electronics Ltd.
Publication of WO2018029007A2 publication Critical patent/WO2018029007A2/en
Publication of WO2018029007A3 publication Critical patent/WO2018029007A3/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L1/00—Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received
    • H04L1/0001—Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff
    • H04L1/0002—Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff by adapting the transmission rate
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L1/00—Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received
    • H04L1/0001—Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff
    • H04L1/0014—Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff by adapting the source coding
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N19/00—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
    • H04N19/10—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding
    • H04N19/102—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding characterised by the element, parameter or selection affected or controlled by the adaptive coding
    • H04N19/115—Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N19/00—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
    • H04N19/10—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding
    • H04N19/134—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using adaptive coding characterised by the element, parameter or criterion affecting or controlling the adaptive coding
    • H04N19/164—Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N19/00—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
    • H04N19/20—Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals using video object coding
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02D—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE
    • Y02D30/00—Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
    • Y02D30/50—Reducing energy consumption in communication networks in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method for monitoring an environmental region of a motor vehicle, in which data captured from the environmental region of the motor vehicle by a camera is wirelessly transmitted from a transmitting device to a receiving device for displaying the transmitted data on a display device for a driver of the motor vehicle.
  • the invention relates to a camera monitor system as well as to a vehicle/trailer combination with a motor vehicle, a trailer coupled to the motor vehicle and a camera monitor system.
  • a vehicle/trailer combination with a vehicle and a trailer can be controlled by a driver by presenting an image of a part of the vehicle/trailer combination on a mobile display unit, for example a smart phone.
  • the display unit is in contact with the vehicle via a wireless connection.
  • a camera for creating the image can for example be disposed at the vehicle.
  • the camera is for example disposed in a rear area of the trailer to capture image data from the environmental region behind the trailer.
  • This image data captured by the camera can then be displayed on a vehicle-side display device, for example a monitor in a passenger cabin of the motor vehicle. If such a camera for example does not belong to the standard equipment of the trailer, it can usually be retrofitted.
  • the trailer-side camera usually uses a 2.4 Gigahertz bandwidth for transmitting the image data to the vehicle-side display device, which can be exposed to interferences and thus provides an unsecure connection between the camera and the display device. Thereby, the data cannot be reliably transmitted from the trailer-side camera to the motor vehicle.
  • environmental region of a motor vehicle can be particularly reliably and securely transmitted between a camera and a display device and thereby the environmental region of the motor vehicle can be particularly reliably monitored.
  • data captured from the environmental region of the motor vehicle by a camera can be wirelessly transmitted from a transmitting device to a receiving device for displaying the transmitted data on a display device for a driver of the motor vehicle.
  • a data size and/or data rate of the data to be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device are stepwise reduced for maintaining the display of the data on the display device.
  • data captured from the environmental region of the motor vehicle by a camera is wirelessly transmitted from a transmitting device to a receiving device for displaying the transmitted data on a display device for a driver of the motor vehicle.
  • a data size and/or a data rate of the data to be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device are stepwise reduced for maintaining the display of the data on the display device.
  • the method serves for operating a camera monitor system, which serves for monitoring the environmental region of the motor vehicle.
  • the camera monitor system is in particular a spatially distributed system in the present case, in which the camera and the transmitting device are disposed spaced from the display device and the receiving device.
  • the transmitting device can be integrated in the camera.
  • the transmitting device and the receiving device constitute a transmission device of the camera monitor system and therein can each be formed as a transmitter-receiver or transceiver.
  • the transmitting device and the receiving device can for example be configured in the form of antennas.
  • the data is for example wirelessly transmitted via a distance of in particular at least 2 meters, for example via radio.
  • the data is in particular transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device in continuous manner or at predetermined transmitting points of time such that current data from the environmental region can be displayed on the display device for the driver of the motor vehicle.
  • Such current data can for example be a video sequence or live images of the environmental region captured by the at least one camera.
  • the data is particularly preferably transmitted between the transmitting device disposed at a trailer coupled to the motor vehicle and the receiving device disposed at the motor vehicle.
  • the environmental region of a vehicle/trailer combination is monitored by means of the camera monitor system.
  • the vehicle/trailer combination has the motor vehicle and the trailer coupled to the motor vehicle.
  • the camera is in particular disposed together with the transmitting device in a rear area of the trailer and serves for monitoring the environmental region behind the trailer.
  • the environmental region behind the trailer can for example be displayed on the display device as a video sequence such that the driver can be assisted in maneuvering the vehicle/trailer combination, in particular in reversing with the vehicle/trailer combination.
  • the display device and the receiving device are in particular disposed at the motor vehicle.
  • the display device can for example be a monitor in a dashboard of the motor vehicle and/or in an interior mirror of the motor vehicle. Now, in order to allow monitoring the environmental region of the vehicle/trailer combination for the driver even with reduced transmission power, the data size and/or the data rate are reduced upon decrease of the available transmission power.
  • the data can also be wirelessly transmitted between a vehicle-side camera with a vehicle-side transmitting device and a mobile terminal, for example a smart phone, and/or between the mobile terminal and a vehicle-side display device with a vehicle-side receiving device.
  • the camera monitor system and thereby the transmission device can also be completely disposed at the motor vehicle such that the data is wirelessly transmitted between a vehicle-side transmitting device and a vehicle-side receiving device.
  • a video sequence captured by the camera is transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device as the data in a first transmission mode and object information determined based on the captured video sequence, which describes the environmental region of the motor vehicle in object-based manner, is transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device as the data in a second transmission mode.
  • object information determined based on the captured video sequence which describes the environmental region of the motor vehicle in object-based manner
  • a particularly high data rate and/or data size can be provided in transmission such that the video sequence captured by the camera, in particular the trailer-side camera, can be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device and the captured video sequence can be displayed on the display device.
  • the video sequence is transmitted in the form of frames, so-called video frames, wherein a plurality of frames can be transmitted per time unit by the high data rate or bit rate.
  • video frames wherein a plurality of frames can be transmitted per time unit by the high data rate or bit rate.
  • the object information can be determined by a camera-side image processing device by analyzing the image data captured by the camera and thus provide an object-based description of the environmental region.
  • obstacles behind the trailer, road markings, other vehicles and/or pedestrians can for example be detected as the object information.
  • a three-dimensional description of the environment can also be extracted from the images.
  • This object information represents particularly relevant information, so-called key information, for the driver and can be transmitted with a particularly low data rate and/or data size.
  • at least this relevant object information can be presented on the display device during the second transmission mode such that the driver obtains current information from the environmental region important to him also during the second transmission mode.
  • the object information is additionally determined based on distance sensor data of a distance sensor device.
  • a distance sensor device can for example include an ultrasonic sensor and/or a radar sensor and for example be disposed at the motor vehicle.
  • the distance sensor data can be transmitted from the receiving device configured as a transceiver via the bidirectional wireless connection to the transmitting device also configured as a transceiver.
  • the camera-side image processing device can verify the object information determined based on the camera data.
  • the method is particularly reliably configured.
  • a third transmission mode in which at least one low-resolution image generated by reducing a resolution of the captured video sequence is transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device as the data.
  • the resolution of the frames of the video sequence can be reduced and thereby quality of the images can be degraded, whereby a size of the data to be transferred is reduced. Less of these low-resolution images can also be transferred per time unit such that the data rate is thereby also reduced.
  • the camera monitor system can be stepwise or gradually adapted to the currently available transmission power such that the functionality is maintained in each transmission mode at least in restricted manner.
  • the data is adapted to the data rate and/or data size maximally available in the respective
  • the first transmission mode is provided if the transmission power exceeds a first threshold value.
  • the third transmission mode is provided if the transmission power at least falls below the first threshold value and exceeds a second threshold value less compared to the first threshold value.
  • the second transmission mode is provided if the transmission power at least falls below the second threshold value.
  • the data rate and/or the data size are therefore stepwise reduced such that the video sequence can be transmitted with optimum transmission conditions, thus if the transmission power exceeds the first threshold value.
  • the transmission power decreases and is between an interval between the first threshold value and the second threshold value, thus, at least the images with the lower resolution can be transmitted. If the transmission power further decreases, thus falls below the second threshold value, thus, only the object information from the environmental region is transmitted, but which still can reliably inform the driver about current environmental conditions.
  • the data is transmitted via Wi-Fi in the first transmission mode and via Bluetooth in the second and third transmission modes.
  • Bluetooth is in particular suitable for low bandwidths and short transmission paths, while the same hardware or architecture can be used as for transmitting the data via Wi-Fi.
  • the transmitting device and the receiving device are for example formed as antennas, wherein data can be bidirectionally transmitted between the transmitting device and the receiving device via Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth. Therein, the data can be transmitted via Wi-Fi and/or via Bluetooth in the second and the third operating mode.
  • the object information is additionally transmitted in the first and/or the third transmission mode.
  • the second transmission mode only the object information is transmitted.
  • This embodiment is particularly advantageous since the camera usually is equipped with an image processing device such that the object information can already be determined from the captured data on the side of the camera. If this object information having a low data size is transmitted in addition to the video sequence and the low- resolution images, a plurality of current information from the environmental region can be provided to the driver.
  • the transmitted video sequence and object information are displayed on the display device in the first transmission mode.
  • a video sequence is generated in the second and the third transmission mode based on the transmitted data and/or based on historic data communicated and stored before in time, which is displayed on the display device together with the object information.
  • the video sequence captured by the camera is displayed on the display device in the first transmission mode.
  • the object information is inserted into the video sequence for example in the form of superpositions or overlays and/or a mark and presented on the display device together with the video sequence.
  • the video sequence of the environmental region can for example be artificially generated or rendered.
  • the video sequence can for example be generated or determined from the transmitted object information and historic images, which are for example transmitted before in time and recorded in a storage device, and/or images of other cameras of the motor vehicle.
  • This artificially created video sequence can for example be displayed to the user if the first transmission mode can no longer be provided and therefore the video sequence can no longer be directly transmitted and displayed.
  • the artificially created video sequence is provided and displayed in transition-free or seamless manner upon transition from the first transmission mode into the second or third transmission mode such that the driver does not notice or only barely notices the decrease of the transmission power.
  • the currently available transmission power is determined depending on a position of the transmitting device and a position of the receiving device.
  • the positions of the transmitting device and the receiving device are extrinsic parameters, which can change globally and/or relative to each other.
  • global whereabouts of the motor vehicle or the vehicle/trailer combination can for example be determined, by which the global positions of the transmitting device and the receiving device are designated.
  • These current whereabouts of the motor vehicle can for example be determined by means of a GPS apparatus of the motor vehicle. Then, it can be acquired if information relating to the transmission power at these whereabouts is present.
  • This information relating to the low transmission power can for example be recorded together with the whereabouts in an environmental map describing the environmental region of the motor vehicle. Now, if it is acquired that the motor vehicle is again at these whereabouts or will soon be at these whereabouts, thus, the reduced transmission power can be acquired based on the environmental map and the camera monitor system can be securely and reliably transferred into the second or third transmission mode. Then, at least the current object information corresponding to these whereabouts and captured by the camera can be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device.
  • the relative posture of the positions of the transmitting device and the receiving device to each other is determined. This is in particular relevant in the embodiment of the trailer-side transmitting device and the vehicle-side receiving device.
  • the relative posture of the transmitting device to the receiving device can change.
  • This relative posture can for example be acquired by acquisition of a dynamic position of the trailer-side transmitting device to the vehicle-side receiving device. For example, during turning maneuvers, in traveling over uneven surfaces, upon changes in the loading of the trailer or by attaching the trailer to the motor vehicle, the relative posture of the positions or of the site of attachment of the transmitting device and the receiving device to each other can change. This can be taken into account in determining the current transmission power.
  • the control device transferring the camera monitor system into the different transmission modes can in particular be trained. Thereto, it can be acquired when the transmission power decreases for example due to interferences caused by pivoting at certain pivot angles between the trailer and the motor vehicle. Thereto, a list can for example be recorded in a vehicle-side storage device, in which respective values of the transmission power are associated with various pivot angles. Based on the list, the transmission power corresponding to the currently acquired pivot angle can then be determined. Thus, a particularly fast response of the control device for transferring the camera monitor system into the different transmission modes can be effected.
  • the currently available transmission power is determined depending on a transmission characteristic between the transmitting device and the receiving device.
  • a transmission characteristic can be an intrinsic parameter, which is designated by the construction of the transmitting device and the receiving device.
  • the transmission characteristic can for example be preset by a directivity of the transmitting device and receiving device formed as antennas.
  • the transmission characteristic can also be varied for example by the global and relative positions of the transmitting device and the receiving device.
  • multi-path reception can occur, which occurs at the receiving device if the signal emitted by the transmitting device, for example the electromagnetic waves, is deflected.
  • causes for the multi-path reception can be reflections of the signal, refraction and/or scattering of the signal.
  • this can also be taken into account in determining the currently available transmission power.
  • the currently available transmission power is determined depending on at least one geometric dimension of the trailer and/or a material of the trailer and/or a site of attachment of the transmitting device at the trailer.
  • the geometric dimension can for example be a length of the trailer, which can be recorded in a vehicle-side storage device. The longer the trailer is, the more distant is the transmitting device attached to a rear side of the trailer from the receiving device at the motor vehicle. This can be taken into account in determining the transmission power.
  • a construction material of the trailer can also be taken into account, by which the signal emitted by the transmitting device for transmitting the data can be reflected or deflected.
  • the trailer data presents intrinsic parameters, by which the maximally available transmission power in the respective transmission modes is designated.
  • the invention relates to a camera monitor system for monitoring an
  • the camera monitor system it in particular has a camera for capturing data from the environmental region of the motor vehicle, a display device for displaying the data for a driver of the motor vehicle, a camera-side transmitting device for transferring the data and a display device-side receiving device for receiving the transmitted data.
  • a control device of the camera monitor system can be adapted to stepwise reduce a data size and/or a data rate of the data to be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device upon recognizing a decrease of a transmission power available for the wireless transmission for maintaining the display of the data on the display device.
  • the camera monitor system has a camera for capturing data from the environmental region, a display device for displaying the data for a driver of the motor vehicle, a camera-side transmitting device for transferring the data and a display device-side receiving device for receiving the data.
  • a control device of the camera monitor system is adapted to stepwise reduce a data size and/or a data rate of the data to be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device upon recognizing a decrease of a transmission power available for wireless transmission for maintaining the display of the data on the display device.
  • the invention also relates to a vehicle/trailer combination with a motor vehicle, a trailer coupled to the motor vehicle and a camera monitor system, wherein the camera and the transmitting device are disposed at the trailer and the display device and the receiving device are disposed at the motor vehicle.
  • Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of a vehicle/trailer
  • Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a trailer-side part of an embodiment of a camera monitor system according to the invention
  • Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a vehicle-side part of the camera monitor system
  • Fig. 4 a schematic representation of transmission modes and the associated data rates thereof
  • Fig. 5 a schematic representation of states of an embodiment of a camera
  • Fig. 6 a schematic representation of a motor vehicle with an embodiment of a camera monitor system according to the invention.
  • identical as well as functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference characters.
  • Fig. 1 shows a vehicle/trailer combination 1 according to the present invention.
  • the vehicle/trailer combination 1 has a motor vehicle 2 as well as a trailer 3 coupled to the motor vehicle 2.
  • the vehicle/trailer combination 1 has a camera monitor system 4, which serves for monitoring an environmental region 5 of the vehicle/trailer combination 1 .
  • the camera monitor system 4 has a trailer-side part 6 as well as a vehicle-side part 7.
  • the trailer-side part 6 of the camera monitor system 4 includes a camera 8, which is disposed in a rear area 9 of the trailer 3 in the present case.
  • the trailer-side part 6 has a transmitting device 10, which here is also disposed in the rear area 9 of the trailer 3.
  • the vehicle-side part 7 of the camera monitor system 4 has a receiving device 1 1 as well as a display device 13 (see Fig. 3).
  • the display device 13 can for example be disposed in an interior of the motor vehicle 2 and be formed as a monitor in an interior mirror and/or in a dashboard of the motor vehicle 2.
  • the transmitting device 10 and the receiving device 1 1 form a transmission device for the camera monitor system 4 and can communicate with each other via a wireless connection 12.
  • the transmitting device 10 and the receiving device 1 1 can for example be formed for bidirectional communication via the wireless connection 12 and be configured as antennas.
  • the wireless connection 12 can for example be a Wi-Fi connection and/or a Bluetooth connection.
  • data captured from the environmental region 5 by the camera 8 is in particular transmitted via the wireless connection 12 such that it can be displayed on the vehicle-side display device 13 for the driver of the motor vehicle 2.
  • a video sequence is captured by the camera 8, which is to be displayed on the display device 13.
  • the transmission of the video sequence between the trailer-side part 6 of the camera monitor system 4 and the motor vehicle-side part 7 of the camera monitor system 4 is shown based on Fig. 2 and 3.
  • the trailer-side part 6 of the camera monitor system 4 is shown.
  • light is projected from the environmental region 5 via a lens 15 of the camera 8 to an image sensor 16 of the camera 8, which captures the light as video data.
  • This video data is for example compressed by an image processing device of the camera 8 such that compressed data 17 is present.
  • the data can for example be compressed by means of MJPEG, H.264 or H.265.
  • the data can therefore be wirelessly transmitted via a standardized protocol to reduce costs for the implementation of hardware, software and safety measures.
  • the data captured by the camera 8 can be analyzed and object information 18 can be extracted from the data.
  • object information 18 describes the environmental region 5 in object-based manner and for example can describe recognized objects in the environmental region 5 of the motor vehicle 2.
  • objects can for example be roadway markings, pedestrians or other vehicles.
  • the compressed data 17 and the object information 18 can be arranged in a so- called network stack 19, which is transmitted to the transmitting device 10.
  • the transmitting device 10 then transmits the network stack 19 via the wireless connection 12 to the vehicle-side part 7, which is shown in Fig. 3.
  • the transmitting device 10 can transmit the data via a standardized wireless interface such that the data cannot only be transmitted to the vehicle-side part 7, but also to apparatuses external to vehicle, for example a smart phone or a tablet, and be displayed there.
  • the network stack 19 is received by the receiving device 1 1 via the wireless connection 12.
  • the compressed data 17 can again be decompressed.
  • the decompressed video data 20 can then be further processed.
  • further environmental information can be extracted from the decompressed data 20 and/or corrections of the video data 20 can be performed by a vehicle-side image processing device.
  • perspective distortions and/or distortions caused by a fish-eye lens of the camera 8 can be corrected.
  • the video data 20 can then be supplied to the display device 13 for display.
  • superpositions 21 can be determined based on the parallel transmitted object information 18, which are for example displayed on the display device 13 in the form of overlays or marks. By these superpositions 21 , relevant information can be optically highlighted for the driver.
  • the transmission power is dependent on extrinsic parameters, for example environmental conditions, whereabouts of the vehicle/trailer combination 1 and a posture of the transmitting device 10 to the receiving device 1 1 , and intrinsic parameters, for example a configuration of the trailer 3.
  • the transmission power can be influenced by a length 14 of the trailer 3, a material of the trailer 3 and a site of attachment of the transmitting device 10 at the trailer 3. If the maximum transmission power is available, thus, the video sequence or live images of the environmental region 5 are transmitted as the data via the wireless connection 12 such that the video sequence can be displayed on the display device 13.
  • the driver of the vehicle/trailer combination 1 can be assisted in maneuvering the vehicle/trailer combination 1 , in particular in reversing with the vehicle/trailer combination 1 .
  • the available transmission power now decreases, thus, due to the too large data rate and/or data size of the video sequence, it can no longer be transmitted.
  • the decrease of the transmission power or transmission quality can for example be predicted by acquiring the extrinsic and intrinsic parameters.
  • the data rate and/or the data size of the data to be transmitted can be controlled and stepwise reduced such that the camera monitor system 4 still stays operative.
  • a partial failure of the camera monitor system 4 is initiated.
  • relevant information from the environmental region 5, for example in the form of the object information 18, is still provided to the driver and for example represented as markings on the display device 13.
  • different transmission modes 22, 23, 24 can be provided, which are shown in Fig. 4.
  • the data transmitted in the different transmission modes 22, 23, 24 here differ in their data rate B or bit rate.
  • the data is transmitted with a very high, maximum bit rate B1 .
  • the video sequence can be transmitted in the form of frames or video frames 25 as well as additionally the object information 18 as the data.
  • a bit rate B2 reduced with respect to the maximum bit rate B1 is available such that low-resolution images 26 as well as additionally the object data 18 are transmitted here as the data.
  • a third transmission mode 24 only a very low, minimum bit rate B3 is still available such that only the object information 18 is transmitted as the data.
  • the data can for example be transmitted via Wi-Fi.
  • the data can for example be transmitted via Bluetooth, whereby the transmission of information can be transmitted with a low bandwidth, but with the same transmission device or hardware.
  • the trailer-side camera has a powerful image processing device, which can describe the situation in the environmental region 5 in object-based manner, this object information 18 can be transmitted with a low bit rate B3.
  • the environmental region 5 can be provided to the driver even if the complete video stream is not available. However, it can also be provided that a video sequence can be created or reconstructed based on the object information, historic and stored video data and the data of other vehicle-side cameras in the second and the third transmission mode 23, 24. Thus, the environmental region 5 is three-dimensionally and photo-realistically rendered such that presentation of the environmental situation as well as key information from the environmental region 5 can be provided to the driver without transition.
  • various states S1 , S2, S3 of the camera monitor system 4 are shown based on a state machine, which correspond to the different transmission modes 22, 23, 24 as well as bit rates B1 , B2, B3.
  • a first state S1 the camera monitor system 4 is operated in the first transmission mode 22 such that the data, in particular the frames 25 and the object information 18, can be transmitted with the first bit rate B1 .
  • the camera monitor system 4 is operated in the second transmission mode 23, in which the data, in particular the low-resolution images 26 and the object information 18, is transmitted with the second bit rate B2.
  • the third state S3 the data, in particular only the object information 18, is transmitted with the third bit rate B3.
  • the camera monitor system 4 In presence of a first condition C1 , the camera monitor system 4 is transferred from the first state S1 into the second state S2.
  • the first condition C1 implies that the transmission power and thus a signal quality is less than a first threshold value. If the camera monitor system 4 is in the second state S2, thus, it can again be transferred into the first state S1 if a second condition C2 is satisfied, namely if the transmission power again exceeds the first threshold value. If the camera monitor system 4 is in the second state S2, the transmission power further decreases and therein falls below a second threshold value as a third condition C3, thus, the camera monitor system 4 is transferred into the third state S3.
  • the camera monitor system 4 is in the third state S3 and a fourth condition C4 is satisfied, which includes that the signal quality again exceeds the second threshold value, thus, the camera monitor system 4 is transferred from the third state S3 back into the second state S2.
  • the camera monitor system 4 is immediately transferred from the first state S1 into the third state S3 if it is detected that a fifth condition C5 is satisfied, namely the transmission power falls below the second threshold value. In this case, the transmission power abruptly decreases such that only the object information 18 is transmitted instead of the frames 25 for the video sequence.
  • a further embodiment of the camera monitor system 4 is shown, which is here completely disposed at a motor vehicle 27.
  • the camera 8 is here disposed in a rear area 28 of the motor vehicle 27.
  • the transmitting device 10 is also disposed in the rear area 28 of the motor vehicle 27.
  • the receiving device 1 1 is disposed in a front area 29 of the motor vehicle 27 such that the data is transmitted between the rear-side transmitting device 10 and the front-side receiving device 1 1 via the wireless connection 12.
  • the camera 8 can for example also be disposed at the motor vehicle 27 and the receiving device 1 1 with the display device 13 can be disposed at a mobile terminal, for example a tablet or smart phone.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Quality & Reliability (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Closed-Circuit Television Systems (AREA)
  • Arrangements For Transmission Of Measured Signals (AREA)
  • Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)
  • Traffic Control Systems (AREA)

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring an environmental region (5) of a motor vehicle (1, 27), in which data captured from the environmental region (5) of the motor vehicle (1, 27) by a camera (8) is wirelessly transmitted from a transmitting device (10) to a receiving device (11) for displaying the transmitted data on a display device (13) for a driver of the motor vehicle (1, 27), wherein a data size and/or a data rate of the data to be transmitted from the transmitting device (10) to the receiving device (11) are stepwise reduced upon recognizing a decrease of a transmission power available for the wireless transmission for maintaining the display of the data on the display device (13). In addition, the invention relates to a camera monitor system (4) as well as to a vehicle/trailer combination (1) with a motor vehicle (2), a trailer (3) coupled to the motor vehicle (2) and a camera monitor system (4).

Description

Method for monitoring an environmental region of a motor vehicle, camera monitor system as well as vehicle/trailer combination with a camera monitor system
The invention relates to a method for monitoring an environmental region of a motor vehicle, in which data captured from the environmental region of the motor vehicle by a camera is wirelessly transmitted from a transmitting device to a receiving device for displaying the transmitted data on a display device for a driver of the motor vehicle. In addition, the invention relates to a camera monitor system as well as to a vehicle/trailer combination with a motor vehicle, a trailer coupled to the motor vehicle and a camera monitor system.
It is already known from the prior art to monitor an environmental region of a motor vehicle by capturing the environmental region by a camera and displaying the images captured by the camera on a display device. Therein, an area of the environmental region poorly visible for the driver can in particular be captured by the camera and this area can be displayed on the display device. Such a poorly visible area can for example be the environmental region behind a trailer coupled to the motor vehicle. Therein, it can be provided, as for example described in WO 2015/1 10135 A1 , that a vehicle/trailer combination with a vehicle and a trailer can be controlled by a driver by presenting an image of a part of the vehicle/trailer combination on a mobile display unit, for example a smart phone. The display unit is in contact with the vehicle via a wireless connection. A camera for creating the image can for example be disposed at the vehicle.
However, it can also be provided that the camera is for example disposed in a rear area of the trailer to capture image data from the environmental region behind the trailer. This image data captured by the camera can then be displayed on a vehicle-side display device, for example a monitor in a passenger cabin of the motor vehicle. If such a camera for example does not belong to the standard equipment of the trailer, it can usually be retrofitted. In this subsequent implementation of the camera, the trailer-side camera usually uses a 2.4 Gigahertz bandwidth for transmitting the image data to the vehicle-side display device, which can be exposed to interferences and thus provides an unsecure connection between the camera and the display device. Thereby, the data cannot be reliably transmitted from the trailer-side camera to the motor vehicle.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a solution, how data from an
environmental region of a motor vehicle can be particularly reliably and securely transmitted between a camera and a display device and thereby the environmental region of the motor vehicle can be particularly reliably monitored.
According to the invention, this object is solved by a method, a camera monitor system as well as a vehicle/trailer combination. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims, of the description as well as of the figures.
In an embodiment of a method according to the invention for monitoring an environmental region of a motor vehicle, data captured from the environmental region of the motor vehicle by a camera can be wirelessly transmitted from a transmitting device to a receiving device for displaying the transmitted data on a display device for a driver of the motor vehicle. In particular, upon recognizing a decrease of a transmission power available for the wireless transmission, a data size and/or data rate of the data to be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device are stepwise reduced for maintaining the display of the data on the display device.
Preferably, in a method for monitoring an environmental region of a motor vehicle, data captured from the environmental region of the motor vehicle by a camera is wirelessly transmitted from a transmitting device to a receiving device for displaying the transmitted data on a display device for a driver of the motor vehicle. Moreover, upon recognizing a decrease of a transmission power available for the wireless transmission, a data size and/or a data rate of the data to be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device are stepwise reduced for maintaining the display of the data on the display device.
In particular, the method serves for operating a camera monitor system, which serves for monitoring the environmental region of the motor vehicle. Therein, the camera monitor system is in particular a spatially distributed system in the present case, in which the camera and the transmitting device are disposed spaced from the display device and the receiving device. Therein, the transmitting device can be integrated in the camera.
Therein, the transmitting device and the receiving device constitute a transmission device of the camera monitor system and therein can each be formed as a transmitter-receiver or transceiver. Thereto, the transmitting device and the receiving device can for example be configured in the form of antennas. Therein, the data is for example wirelessly transmitted via a distance of in particular at least 2 meters, for example via radio. Therein, the data is in particular transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device in continuous manner or at predetermined transmitting points of time such that current data from the environmental region can be displayed on the display device for the driver of the motor vehicle. Such current data can for example be a video sequence or live images of the environmental region captured by the at least one camera.
With optimum transmission conditions or with optimum signal quality, maximum transmission power is available, and maximum data size and/or maximum data size per time unit or data rate can be transmitted. However, as soon as the transmission power decreases, response of the camera monitor system directed to stability and security is performed. Thereto, the data size and/or data rate to be transferred can for example be reduced by a control device of the camera monitor system. Thus, current data is still transmitted such that current information from the environmental region can be provided to the driver even with reduced transmission power. Thus, it can be ensured that operation of the camera monitor system is maintained as far as possible and functionality of the camera monitor system is kept. This is also referred to as "graceful degradation" or partial failure and can prevent a total failure of the camera monitor system. Thus, current environmental data is still displayed to the driver on the display device, wherein a quality of the displayed data is for example degraded due to the reduced data size and/or data rate. Thus, upon decrease of the available transmission power, thus also with degraded transmission conditions, it can be ensured that the driver of the motor vehicle can reliably monitor the environmental region.
In a method, the data is particularly preferably transmitted between the transmitting device disposed at a trailer coupled to the motor vehicle and the receiving device disposed at the motor vehicle. According to this embodiment, the environmental region of a vehicle/trailer combination is monitored by means of the camera monitor system. The vehicle/trailer combination has the motor vehicle and the trailer coupled to the motor vehicle. Therein, the camera is in particular disposed together with the transmitting device in a rear area of the trailer and serves for monitoring the environmental region behind the trailer. The environmental region behind the trailer can for example be displayed on the display device as a video sequence such that the driver can be assisted in maneuvering the vehicle/trailer combination, in particular in reversing with the vehicle/trailer combination. The display device and the receiving device are in particular disposed at the motor vehicle. The display device can for example be a monitor in a dashboard of the motor vehicle and/or in an interior mirror of the motor vehicle. Now, in order to allow monitoring the environmental region of the vehicle/trailer combination for the driver even with reduced transmission power, the data size and/or the data rate are reduced upon decrease of the available transmission power. Alternatively or additionally to the data transmission between a trailer-side camera with a trailer-side transmitting device and a vehicle-side display device with a vehicle-side receiving device, the data can also be wirelessly transmitted between a vehicle-side camera with a vehicle-side transmitting device and a mobile terminal, for example a smart phone, and/or between the mobile terminal and a vehicle-side display device with a vehicle-side receiving device. The camera monitor system and thereby the transmission device can also be completely disposed at the motor vehicle such that the data is wirelessly transmitted between a vehicle-side transmitting device and a vehicle-side receiving device.
It proves advantageous if at least two transmission modes are provided depending on the available transmission power, wherein a video sequence captured by the camera is transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device as the data in a first transmission mode and object information determined based on the captured video sequence, which describes the environmental region of the motor vehicle in object-based manner, is transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device as the data in a second transmission mode. In the first operating mode, a particularly high data rate and/or data size can be provided in transmission such that the video sequence captured by the camera, in particular the trailer-side camera, can be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device and the captured video sequence can be displayed on the display device. Therein, the video sequence is transmitted in the form of frames, so-called video frames, wherein a plurality of frames can be transmitted per time unit by the high data rate or bit rate. As soon as the transmission power decreases, thus as soon as the transmission power falls below a predetermined threshold value, the video sequence is no longer transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device, but the object information.
For example, the object information can be determined by a camera-side image processing device by analyzing the image data captured by the camera and thus provide an object-based description of the environmental region. Therein, obstacles behind the trailer, road markings, other vehicles and/or pedestrians can for example be detected as the object information. A three-dimensional description of the environment can also be extracted from the images. This object information represents particularly relevant information, so-called key information, for the driver and can be transmitted with a particularly low data rate and/or data size. Thus, at least this relevant object information can be presented on the display device during the second transmission mode such that the driver obtains current information from the environmental region important to him also during the second transmission mode.
Therein, it can be provided that the object information is additionally determined based on distance sensor data of a distance sensor device. Such a distance sensor device can for example include an ultrasonic sensor and/or a radar sensor and for example be disposed at the motor vehicle. For example, the distance sensor data can be transmitted from the receiving device configured as a transceiver via the bidirectional wireless connection to the transmitting device also configured as a transceiver. Thereby, the camera-side image processing device can verify the object information determined based on the camera data. Thus, the method is particularly reliably configured.
Preferably, a third transmission mode is provided, in which at least one low-resolution image generated by reducing a resolution of the captured video sequence is transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device as the data. According to this embodiment, thus, the resolution of the frames of the video sequence can be reduced and thereby quality of the images can be degraded, whereby a size of the data to be transferred is reduced. Less of these low-resolution images can also be transferred per time unit such that the data rate is thereby also reduced. By providing the various transmission modes, thus, the camera monitor system can be stepwise or gradually adapted to the currently available transmission power such that the functionality is maintained in each transmission mode at least in restricted manner. Thereto, the data is adapted to the data rate and/or data size maximally available in the respective
transmission mode before transfer such that data with maximally possible information content is transmitted in each transmission mode.
Preferably, the first transmission mode is provided if the transmission power exceeds a first threshold value. The third transmission mode is provided if the transmission power at least falls below the first threshold value and exceeds a second threshold value less compared to the first threshold value. The second transmission mode is provided if the transmission power at least falls below the second threshold value. The data rate and/or the data size are therefore stepwise reduced such that the video sequence can be transmitted with optimum transmission conditions, thus if the transmission power exceeds the first threshold value. As soon as the transmission power decreases and is between an interval between the first threshold value and the second threshold value, thus, at least the images with the lower resolution can be transmitted. If the transmission power further decreases, thus falls below the second threshold value, thus, only the object information from the environmental region is transmitted, but which still can reliably inform the driver about current environmental conditions.
In a development of the invention, the data is transmitted via Wi-Fi in the first transmission mode and via Bluetooth in the second and third transmission modes. Bluetooth is in particular suitable for low bandwidths and short transmission paths, while the same hardware or architecture can be used as for transmitting the data via Wi-Fi. The transmitting device and the receiving device are for example formed as antennas, wherein data can be bidirectionally transmitted between the transmitting device and the receiving device via Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth. Therein, the data can be transmitted via Wi-Fi and/or via Bluetooth in the second and the third operating mode.
It proves advantageous if the object information is additionally transmitted in the first and/or the third transmission mode. In other words, this means that the video sequence and the object-based information are transmitted in the first transmission mode and the low-resolution images as well as the object information are transmitted in the third transmission mode. In the second transmission mode, only the object information is transmitted. This embodiment is particularly advantageous since the camera usually is equipped with an image processing device such that the object information can already be determined from the captured data on the side of the camera. If this object information having a low data size is transmitted in addition to the video sequence and the low- resolution images, a plurality of current information from the environmental region can be provided to the driver.
In an advantageous configuration of the invention, the transmitted video sequence and object information are displayed on the display device in the first transmission mode. Further, a video sequence is generated in the second and the third transmission mode based on the transmitted data and/or based on historic data communicated and stored before in time, which is displayed on the display device together with the object information. Thus, the video sequence captured by the camera is displayed on the display device in the first transmission mode. Additionally, the object information is inserted into the video sequence for example in the form of superpositions or overlays and/or a mark and presented on the display device together with the video sequence. In the second and the third operating mode, the video sequence of the environmental region can for example be artificially generated or rendered. Thereto, the video sequence can for example be generated or determined from the transmitted object information and historic images, which are for example transmitted before in time and recorded in a storage device, and/or images of other cameras of the motor vehicle. This artificially created video sequence can for example be displayed to the user if the first transmission mode can no longer be provided and therefore the video sequence can no longer be directly transmitted and displayed. In particular, the artificially created video sequence is provided and displayed in transition-free or seamless manner upon transition from the first transmission mode into the second or third transmission mode such that the driver does not notice or only barely notices the decrease of the transmission power.
In an embodiment of the invention, the currently available transmission power is determined depending on a position of the transmitting device and a position of the receiving device. The positions of the transmitting device and the receiving device are extrinsic parameters, which can change globally and/or relative to each other. Thereto, global whereabouts of the motor vehicle or the vehicle/trailer combination can for example be determined, by which the global positions of the transmitting device and the receiving device are designated. These current whereabouts of the motor vehicle can for example be determined by means of a GPS apparatus of the motor vehicle. Then, it can be acquired if information relating to the transmission power at these whereabouts is present. This is for example the case if the motor vehicle already was at these whereabouts at an earlier time and it has been detected that transmission of the data in the first transmission mode was not or only poorly possible. For example, this can occur at whereabouts, at which the transmission is disturbed by electromagnetic interferences. This information relating to the low transmission power can for example be recorded together with the whereabouts in an environmental map describing the environmental region of the motor vehicle. Now, if it is acquired that the motor vehicle is again at these whereabouts or will soon be at these whereabouts, thus, the reduced transmission power can be acquired based on the environmental map and the camera monitor system can be securely and reliably transferred into the second or third transmission mode. Then, at least the current object information corresponding to these whereabouts and captured by the camera can be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device.
However, it can also be provided that the relative posture of the positions of the transmitting device and the receiving device to each other is determined. This is in particular relevant in the embodiment of the trailer-side transmitting device and the vehicle-side receiving device. Thus, by pivoting the trailer, the relative posture of the transmitting device to the receiving device can change. This relative posture can for example be acquired by acquisition of a dynamic position of the trailer-side transmitting device to the vehicle-side receiving device. For example, during turning maneuvers, in traveling over uneven surfaces, upon changes in the loading of the trailer or by attaching the trailer to the motor vehicle, the relative posture of the positions or of the site of attachment of the transmitting device and the receiving device to each other can change. This can be taken into account in determining the current transmission power. Therein, the control device transferring the camera monitor system into the different transmission modes can in particular be trained. Thereto, it can be acquired when the transmission power decreases for example due to interferences caused by pivoting at certain pivot angles between the trailer and the motor vehicle. Thereto, a list can for example be recorded in a vehicle-side storage device, in which respective values of the transmission power are associated with various pivot angles. Based on the list, the transmission power corresponding to the currently acquired pivot angle can then be determined. Thus, a particularly fast response of the control device for transferring the camera monitor system into the different transmission modes can be effected.
It can also be provided that the currently available transmission power is determined depending on a transmission characteristic between the transmitting device and the receiving device. Such a transmission characteristic can be an intrinsic parameter, which is designated by the construction of the transmitting device and the receiving device. The transmission characteristic can for example be preset by a directivity of the transmitting device and receiving device formed as antennas. However, the transmission characteristic can also be varied for example by the global and relative positions of the transmitting device and the receiving device. For example, multi-path reception can occur, which occurs at the receiving device if the signal emitted by the transmitting device, for example the electromagnetic waves, is deflected. Causes for the multi-path reception can be reflections of the signal, refraction and/or scattering of the signal. Advantageously, this can also be taken into account in determining the currently available transmission power.
In a development of the invention, the currently available transmission power is determined depending on at least one geometric dimension of the trailer and/or a material of the trailer and/or a site of attachment of the transmitting device at the trailer. The geometric dimension can for example be a length of the trailer, which can be recorded in a vehicle-side storage device. The longer the trailer is, the more distant is the transmitting device attached to a rear side of the trailer from the receiving device at the motor vehicle. This can be taken into account in determining the transmission power. A construction material of the trailer can also be taken into account, by which the signal emitted by the transmitting device for transmitting the data can be reflected or deflected. In particular, the trailer data presents intrinsic parameters, by which the maximally available transmission power in the respective transmission modes is designated.
By considering the extrinsic and intrinsic parameters, optimum and controlled driving experience can advantageously be provided such that responses of the camera monitor system are intuitive and unique for the driver of the motor vehicle.
In addition, the invention relates to a camera monitor system for monitoring an
environmental region of a motor vehicle. In an embodiment of the camera monitor system, it in particular has a camera for capturing data from the environmental region of the motor vehicle, a display device for displaying the data for a driver of the motor vehicle, a camera-side transmitting device for transferring the data and a display device-side receiving device for receiving the transmitted data. Moreover, a control device of the camera monitor system can be adapted to stepwise reduce a data size and/or a data rate of the data to be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device upon recognizing a decrease of a transmission power available for the wireless transmission for maintaining the display of the data on the display device. Preferably, the camera monitor system has a camera for capturing data from the environmental region, a display device for displaying the data for a driver of the motor vehicle, a camera-side transmitting device for transferring the data and a display device-side receiving device for receiving the data. A control device of the camera monitor system is adapted to stepwise reduce a data size and/or a data rate of the data to be transmitted from the transmitting device to the receiving device upon recognizing a decrease of a transmission power available for wireless transmission for maintaining the display of the data on the display device.
The invention also relates to a vehicle/trailer combination with a motor vehicle, a trailer coupled to the motor vehicle and a camera monitor system, wherein the camera and the transmitting device are disposed at the trailer and the display device and the receiving device are disposed at the motor vehicle.
The preferred embodiments presented with respect to the method according to the invention and the advantages thereof correspondingly apply to the camera monitor system according to the invention as well as to the vehicle/trailer combination according to the invention
Further features of the invention are apparent from the claims, the figures and the description of figures. The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of figures and/or shown in the figures alone are usable not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations or alone without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, implementations are also to be considered as encompassed and disclosed by the invention, which are not explicitly shown in the figures and explained, but arise from and can be generated by separated feature combinations from the explained implementations. Implementations and feature combinations are also to be considered as disclosed, which thus do not have all of the features of an originally formulated independent claim. Moreover, implementations and feature combinations are to be considered as disclosed, in particular by the implementations set out above, which extend beyond or deviate from the feature combinations set out in the relations of the claims.
Now, the invention is explained in more detail based on preferred embodiments as well as with reference to the attached drawings.
There show:
Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of a vehicle/trailer
combination according to the invention;
Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a trailer-side part of an embodiment of a camera monitor system according to the invention;
Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a vehicle-side part of the camera monitor system;
Fig. 4 a schematic representation of transmission modes and the associated data rates thereof;
Fig. 5 a schematic representation of states of an embodiment of a camera
monitor system based on a state machine; and
Fig. 6 a schematic representation of a motor vehicle with an embodiment of a camera monitor system according to the invention. In the figures, identical as well as functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference characters.
Fig. 1 shows a vehicle/trailer combination 1 according to the present invention. The vehicle/trailer combination 1 has a motor vehicle 2 as well as a trailer 3 coupled to the motor vehicle 2. In addition, the vehicle/trailer combination 1 has a camera monitor system 4, which serves for monitoring an environmental region 5 of the vehicle/trailer combination 1 . Here, the camera monitor system 4 has a trailer-side part 6 as well as a vehicle-side part 7. The trailer-side part 6 of the camera monitor system 4 includes a camera 8, which is disposed in a rear area 9 of the trailer 3 in the present case. In addition, the trailer-side part 6 has a transmitting device 10, which here is also disposed in the rear area 9 of the trailer 3. The vehicle-side part 7 of the camera monitor system 4 has a receiving device 1 1 as well as a display device 13 (see Fig. 3). The display device 13 can for example be disposed in an interior of the motor vehicle 2 and be formed as a monitor in an interior mirror and/or in a dashboard of the motor vehicle 2.
The transmitting device 10 and the receiving device 1 1 form a transmission device for the camera monitor system 4 and can communicate with each other via a wireless connection 12. The transmitting device 10 and the receiving device 1 1 can for example be formed for bidirectional communication via the wireless connection 12 and be configured as antennas. The wireless connection 12 can for example be a Wi-Fi connection and/or a Bluetooth connection. Therein, data captured from the environmental region 5 by the camera 8 is in particular transmitted via the wireless connection 12 such that it can be displayed on the vehicle-side display device 13 for the driver of the motor vehicle 2. In particular, a video sequence is captured by the camera 8, which is to be displayed on the display device 13.
The transmission of the video sequence between the trailer-side part 6 of the camera monitor system 4 and the motor vehicle-side part 7 of the camera monitor system 4 is shown based on Fig. 2 and 3. In Fig. 2, the trailer-side part 6 of the camera monitor system 4 is shown. For capturing the video sequence or the video stream, light is projected from the environmental region 5 via a lens 15 of the camera 8 to an image sensor 16 of the camera 8, which captures the light as video data. This video data is for example compressed by an image processing device of the camera 8 such that compressed data 17 is present. The data can for example be compressed by means of MJPEG, H.264 or H.265. The data can therefore be wirelessly transmitted via a standardized protocol to reduce costs for the implementation of hardware, software and safety measures. In addition, by the image processing device, the data captured by the camera 8 can be analyzed and object information 18 can be extracted from the data. Such object information 18 describes the environmental region 5 in object-based manner and for example can describe recognized objects in the environmental region 5 of the motor vehicle 2. Such objects can for example be roadway markings, pedestrians or other vehicles. The compressed data 17 and the object information 18 can be arranged in a so- called network stack 19, which is transmitted to the transmitting device 10. The transmitting device 10 then transmits the network stack 19 via the wireless connection 12 to the vehicle-side part 7, which is shown in Fig. 3. Therein, the transmitting device 10 can transmit the data via a standardized wireless interface such that the data cannot only be transmitted to the vehicle-side part 7, but also to apparatuses external to vehicle, for example a smart phone or a tablet, and be displayed there.
The network stack 19 is received by the receiving device 1 1 via the wireless connection 12. After receiving the network stack 19, the compressed data 17 can again be decompressed. The decompressed video data 20 can then be further processed. For example, further environmental information can be extracted from the decompressed data 20 and/or corrections of the video data 20 can be performed by a vehicle-side image processing device. For example, perspective distortions and/or distortions caused by a fish-eye lens of the camera 8 can be corrected. The video data 20 can then be supplied to the display device 13 for display. In addition, superpositions 21 can be determined based on the parallel transmitted object information 18, which are for example displayed on the display device 13 in the form of overlays or marks. By these superpositions 21 , relevant information can be optically highlighted for the driver.
Therein, it can now occur that transmission between the transmitting device 10 and the receiving device 1 1 is disturbed by interferences and thereby transmission power available for the transmission of the data can decrease. In particular, the transmission power is dependent on extrinsic parameters, for example environmental conditions, whereabouts of the vehicle/trailer combination 1 and a posture of the transmitting device 10 to the receiving device 1 1 , and intrinsic parameters, for example a configuration of the trailer 3. For example, the transmission power can be influenced by a length 14 of the trailer 3, a material of the trailer 3 and a site of attachment of the transmitting device 10 at the trailer 3. If the maximum transmission power is available, thus, the video sequence or live images of the environmental region 5 are transmitted as the data via the wireless connection 12 such that the video sequence can be displayed on the display device 13. By displaying the video sequence, in which for example the environmental region 5 behind the trailer 3 is represented, the driver of the vehicle/trailer combination 1 can be assisted in maneuvering the vehicle/trailer combination 1 , in particular in reversing with the vehicle/trailer combination 1 . If the available transmission power now decreases, thus, due to the too large data rate and/or data size of the video sequence, it can no longer be transmitted. The decrease of the transmission power or transmission quality can for example be predicted by acquiring the extrinsic and intrinsic parameters. Now, in order to prevent the camera monitor system 4 from completely failing and becoming inoperative, the data rate and/or the data size of the data to be transmitted can be controlled and stepwise reduced such that the camera monitor system 4 still stays operative. Thus, a partial failure of the camera monitor system 4 is initiated. In this partial failure, relevant information from the environmental region 5, for example in the form of the object information 18, is still provided to the driver and for example represented as markings on the display device 13.
Therein, depending on the currently available transmission power, different transmission modes 22, 23, 24 can be provided, which are shown in Fig. 4. Therein, the data transmitted in the different transmission modes 22, 23, 24 here differ in their data rate B or bit rate. In a first transmission mode 22, the data is transmitted with a very high, maximum bit rate B1 . Thereby, the video sequence can be transmitted in the form of frames or video frames 25 as well as additionally the object information 18 as the data. In a second transmission mode 23, a bit rate B2 reduced with respect to the maximum bit rate B1 is available such that low-resolution images 26 as well as additionally the object data 18 are transmitted here as the data. In a third transmission mode 24, only a very low, minimum bit rate B3 is still available such that only the object information 18 is transmitted as the data. In the first transmission mode 22, the data can for example be transmitted via Wi-Fi. In the second and/or third transmission mode 23, 24, the data can for example be transmitted via Bluetooth, whereby the transmission of information can be transmitted with a low bandwidth, but with the same transmission device or hardware. In particular, if the trailer-side camera has a powerful image processing device, which can describe the situation in the environmental region 5 in object-based manner, this object information 18 can be transmitted with a low bit rate B3. Thereby, key information about the
environmental region 5 can be provided to the driver even if the complete video stream is not available. However, it can also be provided that a video sequence can be created or reconstructed based on the object information, historic and stored video data and the data of other vehicle-side cameras in the second and the third transmission mode 23, 24. Thus, the environmental region 5 is three-dimensionally and photo-realistically rendered such that presentation of the environmental situation as well as key information from the environmental region 5 can be provided to the driver without transition.
In Fig. 5, various states S1 , S2, S3 of the camera monitor system 4 are shown based on a state machine, which correspond to the different transmission modes 22, 23, 24 as well as bit rates B1 , B2, B3. In a first state S1 , the camera monitor system 4 is operated in the first transmission mode 22 such that the data, in particular the frames 25 and the object information 18, can be transmitted with the first bit rate B1 . In the second state S2, the camera monitor system 4 is operated in the second transmission mode 23, in which the data, in particular the low-resolution images 26 and the object information 18, is transmitted with the second bit rate B2. In the third state S3, the data, in particular only the object information 18, is transmitted with the third bit rate B3.
In presence of a first condition C1 , the camera monitor system 4 is transferred from the first state S1 into the second state S2. The first condition C1 implies that the transmission power and thus a signal quality is less than a first threshold value. If the camera monitor system 4 is in the second state S2, thus, it can again be transferred into the first state S1 if a second condition C2 is satisfied, namely if the transmission power again exceeds the first threshold value. If the camera monitor system 4 is in the second state S2, the transmission power further decreases and therein falls below a second threshold value as a third condition C3, thus, the camera monitor system 4 is transferred into the third state S3. If the camera monitor system 4 is in the third state S3 and a fourth condition C4 is satisfied, which includes that the signal quality again exceeds the second threshold value, thus, the camera monitor system 4 is transferred from the third state S3 back into the second state S2. However, it can also be that the camera monitor system 4 is immediately transferred from the first state S1 into the third state S3 if it is detected that a fifth condition C5 is satisfied, namely the transmission power falls below the second threshold value. In this case, the transmission power abruptly decreases such that only the object information 18 is transmitted instead of the frames 25 for the video sequence.
In Fig. 6, a further embodiment of the camera monitor system 4 is shown, which is here completely disposed at a motor vehicle 27. Thereto, the camera 8 is here disposed in a rear area 28 of the motor vehicle 27. The transmitting device 10 is also disposed in the rear area 28 of the motor vehicle 27. Here, the receiving device 1 1 is disposed in a front area 29 of the motor vehicle 27 such that the data is transmitted between the rear-side transmitting device 10 and the front-side receiving device 1 1 via the wireless connection 12. Alternatively thereto, the camera 8 can for example also be disposed at the motor vehicle 27 and the receiving device 1 1 with the display device 13 can be disposed at a mobile terminal, for example a tablet or smart phone.

Claims

Claims
1 . Method for monitoring an environmental region (5) of a motor vehicle (2, 27), in which data captured from the environmental region (5) of the motor vehicle (2, 27) by a camera (8) is wirelessly transmitted from a transmitting device (10) to a receiving device (1 1 ) for displaying the transmitted data on a display device (13) for a driver of the motor vehicle (2, 27),
characterized in that
upon recognizing a decrease of a transmission power available for the wireless transmission, a data size and/or data rate of the data to be transmitted from the transmitting device (10) to the receiving device (1 1 ) are stepwise reduced for maintaining the display of the data on the display device (13).
2. Method according to claim 1 ,
characterized in that
in the method, the data is transmitted between the transmitting device (10) disposed at a trailer (3) coupled to the motor vehicle (2) and the receiving device (1 1 ) disposed at the motor vehicle (2).
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that
depending on the available transmission power, at least two transmission modes (22, 23, 24) are provided, wherein a video sequence captured by the camera is transmitted from the transmitting device (10) to the receiving device (1 1 ) as the data in a first transmission mode (22) and object information (18) determined based on the captured video sequence, which describes the environmental region (5) of the motor vehicle (2, 27) in object-based manner, is transmitted from the transmitting device (10) to the receiving device (1 1 ) as the data in a second transmission mode (24).
4. Method according to claim 3,
characterized in that
the object information (18) is additionally determined based on distance sensor data of a distance sensor device.
5. Method according to claim 3 or 4,
characterized in that
a third transmission mode (23) is provided, in which at least one low-resolution image (26) generated by reducing a resolution of the captured video sequence is transmitted from the transmitting device (10) to the receiving device (1 1 ) as the data.
6. Method according to claim 5,
characterized in that
the first transmission mode (22) is provided if the transmission power exceeds a first threshold value, the third transmission mode (23) is provided if the transmission power at least falls below the first threshold value and exceeds a second threshold value less compared to the first threshold value, and the second transmission mode (24) is provided if the transmission power at least falls below the second threshold value.
7. Method according to claim 5 or 6,
characterized in that
the data is transmitted via Wi-Fi in the first transmission mode (22) and via Bluetooth in the second and third transmission modes (24, 23).
8. Method according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
characterized in that
in the first and/or the third transmission mode (22, 23), the object information (18) is additionally transmitted.
9. Method according to claim 8,
characterized in that
in the first transmission mode (22), the transmitted video sequence and object information (18) are displayed on the display device (13), and in the second and the third transmission mode (24, 23), a video sequence is generated based on the transmitted data and/or based on historic data communicated and stored before in time, which is displayed together with the object information (18) on the display device (13).
10. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the currently available transmission power is determined depending on a position of the transmitting device (10) and a position of the receiving device (1 1 ).
1 1 . Method according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that
the currently available transmission power is determined depending on a transmission characteristic between the transmitting device (10) and the receiving device (1 1 ).
12. Method according to any one of claims 2 to 1 1 ,
characterized in that
the currently available transmission power is determined depending on at least one geometric dimension (14) of the trailer (3) and/or a material of the trailer (3) and/or a site of attachment of the transmitting device (10) at the trailer (3).
13. Camera monitor system (4) for monitoring an environmental region (5) of a motor vehicle (2, 27) including a camera (8) for capturing data from the environmental region (5), a display device (13) for displaying the data for a driver of the motor vehicle (2, 27), including a camera-side transmitting device (10) for transferring the data and including a display device-side receiving device (1 1 ) for receiving the transmitted data,
characterized in that
a control device of the camera monitor system (4) is adapted to stepwise reduce a data size and/or data rate of the data to be transmitted from the transmitting device (10) to the receiving device (1 1 ) upon recognizing a decrease of a transmission power available for the wireless transmission for maintaining the display of the data on the display device (13).
14. Vehicle/trailer combination (1 ) with a motor vehicle (2), a trailer (3) coupled to the motor vehicle (2) and a camera monitor system (4) according to claim 13, wherein the camera (8) and the transmitting device (10) are disposed at the trailer (3) and the display device (13) and the receiving device (11) are disposed at the motor vehicle (1).
PCT/EP2017/069034 2016-08-08 2017-07-27 Method for monitoring an environmental region of a motor vehicle, camera monitor system as well as vehicle/trailer combination with a camera monitor system WO2018029007A2 (en)

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DE102016114644.7A DE102016114644A1 (en) 2016-08-08 2016-08-08 Method for monitoring a surrounding area of a motor vehicle, camera-monitor system and trailer with a camera-monitor system
DE102016114644.7 2016-08-08

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WO2018029007A3 WO2018029007A3 (en) 2018-03-22

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