FR3070087B1 - METHOD FOR DISPLAYING IMAGES ON A MOTOR VEHICLE SCREEN - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for displaying images on a screen (21) of a display system (20) of a motor vehicle, comprising: an operation for generating a first image stream; transmission operation of the first image stream to said display system, and - an operation of displaying images on said screen. According to the invention: - during the generation operation, a second image stream is generated, - during the transmission operation, the first and second image streams are transmitted to said display system, and during the display operation, it is intended to select one of said first and second image streams and to display on the screen only the selected image stream.

Description

Technical field to which the invention relates

The present invention generally relates to the display of information in motor vehicles, in particular to assist drivers in maneuvering their vehicles safely.

More particularly, it relates to a method for processing and displaying images on a screen of a display system located in the interior of a motor vehicle, comprising three concomitant operations, implemented in parallel, of which: generating a first image stream, - a transmission operation of the first image stream to said display system, and - an image display operation on said screen.

Technological background

Motor vehicles are increasingly equipped with information display screens integrated into their central consoles. The electronic architecture of such a motor vehicle then usually comprises a main computer for developing images to display, and a multimedia computer that is integrated in the screen and is designed to receive these images and to control their display on the screen . Generally, the screens are placed in the vehicles so as to present "landscape" formats (that is, so that the longitudinal axis of the screen is oriented horizontally).

However, the same manufacturer of motor vehicles may wish to equip a particular range of motor vehicles with vertically oriented screens, in "portrait" format (that is to say so that the longitudinal axis of the screen is oriented vertically).

It is understood that the images to be displayed on different formats of screens can not be the same (except not to take advantage of all the display surface of the two screens) and that it is therefore necessary to generate these images in different ways. The disadvantage is that the motor vehicle manufacturer is then forced to use for its different ranges of motor vehicles different main computers, each dedicated to a particular screen format.

Object of the invention

In order to overcome the aforementioned drawback of the state of the art, the present invention proposes a new method of image processing and display.

More particularly, according to the invention, a method as defined in the introduction is proposed, in which: during the generation operation, a second image stream is generated, during the transmission operation, the first and second image streams are transmitted to said display system, and - during the display operation, it is intended to select one of said first and second stream of images and display on the screen only the stream of images selected.

Thus, thanks to the invention, two image streams are generated which are adapted to screens which differ in their sizes and / or their orientation, and then the image stream corresponding to the format of the screen fitted to the automobile vehicle under consideration is selected.

As a result, it is not necessary to provide different electronic architectures for making motor vehicles with different screens. For example, it is possible to use a single main calculator for ranges of vehicles equipped with screens that differ, and to only adapt the multimedia calculator so that it selects the corresponding image flow. in the format of its screen. Other advantageous and nonlimiting features of the methodaccording to the invention are the following: during the transmission operation, the images of the first and second images are transmitted to said display system intercalated; during the transmission operation, the images of the first and second images are successively transmitted to said display system alternately, and during the display operation, only one image out of two is selected; during the generation operation, the images of at least one of the first and second image streams are provided with a mark making it possible to distinguish them from the images of the other of the two image streams, and at the same time display operation, the images are selected according to the presence of market / or characteristics of the mark; in the generation step, one of the first and second image streams is composed of landscape format images while the other image stream is composed of images in portrait format; during the generation operation, the two image streams are generated in the same landscape or portrait format, and during the display operation, if one of the two image streams is selected, it is intended to switch its images at 90 degrees before displaying them on the screen and, if the other of the two stream images is selected, it is planned to display its images on the screen without switching them; the generation operation and the display operation are implemented by separate computer computers; if one of the two predefined image streams is selected, it is intended to cut out a predetermined part of each of its images before displaying them on the screen; and at least one of the first and second image streams comprises at least two distinct views representing the external environment of the automobile vehicle. The invention also proposes a motor vehicle comprising: image sensors, a display system comprising a screen, and at least one computer computer adapted to implement a method as mentioned above.

Detailed description of an example of realization

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, given as non-limiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be achieved.

In the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 is a schematic view of electronic and computer means which equip a motor vehicle and which make it possible to implement a method according to the invention; FIGS. 2 and 3 show two images respectively belonging to two image streams generated during a method according to a first embodiment of the invention; FIGS. 4 and 5 show two images respectively belonging to two image streams generated during a variant embodiment of the first embodiment of the method according to the invention; FIGS. 7 and 9 show two images respectively belonging to two image streams generated during a method according to a second embodiment of the invention; and FIGS. 6 and 8 are diagrams illustrating the manner in which the images shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 are composed.

As a preliminary, it should be noted that the same or similar elements of the different embodiments of the invention shown on the different configurations will, as far as possible, be referenced by the same reference signs and will not be described each time.

FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows the electronic and / or computer means which equip a motor vehicle and which are specifically designed to help the driver to maneuver his vehicle.

As will be well described in the rest of this discussion, this automotive vehicle more precisely comprises an image acquisition unit, a main calculator 10 and a display system 20. The image acquisition unit comprises a plurality of image sensors. images suitable for acquiring a plurality of images of the external environment of the automobile vehicle.

More precisely here, the image acquisition unit comprises four cameras respectively placed on the four sides of the motor vehicle, namely: a front camera, situated for example above the registration plate, and adapted to capture an area situated at the front of the vehicle, - a rear camera, situated for example below the registration plate, and adapted to capture an area situated at the rear of the vehicle, - a straight camera, situated for example at the below the right mirror, and adapted to capture an area to the right of the vehicle, and - a left camera, for example below the left mirror, and adapted to capture an area to the left of the vehicle.

These cameras 30 are adapted to acquiring successive shots of the environment of the motor vehicle, in the form of digital videos.

The main computer 10 is for its part intended to receive in these raw pictures and to generate images to be displayed in the field of view of the driver to help him drive the vehicle.

This main computer 10 is in particular capable of generating images 101, 201 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) consisting of several views 51, 52.

These views can be formed by the raw snapshots captured by the cameras, or by retouched and / or reconstructed photos. The main computer 10 is particularly adapted to constitute a top view of the vehicle from the four raw shots simultaneously acquired by the four cameras 30.This top view will be hereinafter called "bird's eye view".

The display system 20 comprises a screen 21 and a multimedia calculator 22. The screen 21 used can be of any type. It may for example be a liquid crystal display (or LCD for "Liquid Crystal Display") with thin film transistors (or TFT for "Thin-Film Transistor"), having an over-touch. It is positioned here in the center console of the vehicle's dashboard.

The multimedia computer 22 is here integrated in the housing of this screen21. It makes it possible to receive as input images to be displayed, to perform simple operations on these images, and then to control the display of these images on the screen 21.

It is expected that the two computers 10, 22 are connected together by a digital data communication bus (commonly called CAN bus, the English "Controller Area Network").

Here, however, the images do not pass through the CAN network. Specific inputs (one for each camera) are provided on the main computer 10. The digital images are transmitted in LVDS (LowVoltage Differential Signaling) or Ethernet format. Likewise, an LVDS or Ethernet output on the main computer 10 transmits the image to be displayed and an LVDS or Ethernet input on the multimedia computer 22 receives it.

Each of the two computers 10, 22 conventionally comprises a processor (CPU), a random and / or dead memory, and different input and output interfaces.

The memory stores data used in the process described below. It stores in particular a computer application, consisting of computer programs including instructions whose execution allows the implementation by computers of the method described below.

In the remainder of the description, it will be considered that the screen 21 installed in the vehicle can be of one or the other of the following two models: - a portrait format screen, with a resolution defined by a height H1 and a width L1 expressed in pixels (with H1> L1), and - a screen in landscape format, with a resolution defined by a height H2 and a width L2 expressed in pixels (with H2 <L2).

Here, these dimensions are such that one can write: -H1> H2, and - L1 "L2.

Preferably, the memory of the multimedia computer 22comporte a "screen type" parameter, whose value indicates which of these two types of screens 21 this multimedia computer 22 is associated.

A first embodiment of a method for processing and displaying images on the screen 21 can now be described in detail.

This process comprises four operations that are implemented in parallel, that is to say concomitantly and continuously.

The first operation consists, for the main computer 10, to receive via the data communication bus the latest snapshots captured by the four cameras 30.

The second operation consists, for the main computer 10, in generating two different image streams 100, 200.

The images 101 (see FIG. 2) constituting the first image stream 100 present identical formats and dimensions.

The images 201 (see FIG. 3) constituting the second image stream 200 also have identical formats and dimensions.

On the other hand, the images 101 of the first image stream 100 have formats and / or dimensions different from those of the images 201 of the second image flow 200.

Thus, in the first embodiment of the invention described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the first image stream 100 consists of images 101 in portrait format while the second image stream 200 consists of images 201 in landscape format.

The images 101 of the first image stream 100 here comprise two viewsrepresented in superimposed position, including a bird's eye view 51 positioned at the top of the image 101 and a view 52 which corresponds to the raw image acquired by the front or rear camera 30 of the vehicle (according to the speed ratio engaged) and that is positioned at the bottom of the image 101.

The images 201 of the second image stream 200 here comprise two views represented in juxtaposed position, including a bird's eye view 51 positioned at right of the image 201 and a view 52 which corresponds to the raw image acquired by the front or rear camera 30 of the vehicle (depending on the speed ratio engaged) and that is positioned to the left of the image 201.

Areas of these images 101, 201 are here left blank of any information. In practice, other information can be displayed in these areas (obstacle alert, selected display mode ...).

It will be noted here that when an image is generated, an identifier appearing in the form of a number is assigned to this image. This number is incremental. However, the main computer 10 alternately generates an image 101for the first image stream 100 and an image 201 for the second image stream 200. Thus, it is understood that if all the images 101 of the first image stream 100 have an identifier number which is even, all the images 201 of the second image stream 200 have an identifier number which is odd.

The third operation consists, for the main computer 10, in transmitting the two image streams 100, 200 to the multimedia computer 22.

Images of the first and second image streams 100, 200; 100 ', 200' are here transmitted to the multimedia calculator 22 by the same channel (by the data exchange network), intercalated.

One could predict that the images of each stream are transmitted in packages of several images.

However, preferentially, the images of the first and second image streams 100, 200 are transmitted alternately, so that one out of two imagemans belongs to the first image stream 100, and the successive image belongs to the second image stream 200.

In this case, the main computer 10 is set to generate 60 frames per second and the multimedia computer 22 is set to receiveinput these 60 frames per second.

Each of the first and second image streams 100, 200 therefore has a "bit rate" of 30 images per second.

The fourth operation consists, for the multimedia computer 22, in selecting one of the two image streams 100, 200 and controlling its display on the screen 21.

Thus, the multimedia computer 22 will control the display on the screen 21 of only one image out of two, so that the user does not perceive the images of one of the two image streams.

To select the images corresponding to the size of the screen 21 equipping the motor vehicle concerned, different solutions can be envisaged.

These various solutions have the common feature that they do not affect the operating algorithm of the main computer 10. They also require changing the value of the "screen type" parameter stored in the multimedia calculator 22.

In practice, in a first embodiment, it is possible to provide that: if the value of the parameter "type of screen" indicates to the multimedia calculator 22 that the screen 21 is in portrait format, this calculator chooses to command the display on the screen 21 only images whose identification numbers are even, or - if the value of the parameter "screen type" indicates to the mediacomputer 22 that the screen 21 is in landscape format, this calculator chooses to recommend the display on the screen 21 only images whose identification numbers are odd.

As a variant or in addition (to verify that there is no error in cesens that the selected images are those which correspond to the format of the screen 21), one can use a polarizer.

For this, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, during the degeneration operation, the main computer 10 can provide the images of at least one of the first and second image streams 100, 200 of a mark 110, 210 allowing to distinguish them from the images of the other of the two flows.

In the example illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper, upper corners of the images 101 of the first image stream 100 are colored in blue, while those of the images 201 of the second image stream 200 are colored green.

Other types of marks could be used, for example marks of the same colors but of different shapes.

Anyway, during the display operation, the media computer 22 can control the display on the screen 21 of the only images whose marks have a color corresponding to the value of the parameter "type of screen" stored in his memory.

It should be noted here in FIG. 5 that the images 201 of the second image stream200 comprise only one and only view of the outside of the vehicle, which extends over the entire width of the image 201. embodiments of the invention are conceivable.

Thus, it is possible to envisage a second embodiment in which the main calculator 10 would not be able to generate images of formats and / or of different dimensions.

In this second embodiment, the method according to the invention comprises four operations implemented in parallel.

The first operation consists, for the main computer 10, to receive via the data communication bus the latest snapshots captured by the four cameras 30.

The second operation consists, for the main computer 10, in generating two different image streams 100 ', 200'.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the images 10Γ, 201 'constituting the two image streams 100', 200 'have identical landscape formats and dimensions (800 pixels high by 1024 pixels wide).

The views 61, 62 illustrated on the images of the two image streams 100 ', 200', on the other hand, are distributed in different ways and are oriented differently.

As shown in FIG. 9, the images 201 'of the second image stream 200' are here formed of two views represented in a juxtaposed position, of which a bird view 61 positioned to the right of the image 20Γ, and a view 62 which corresponds to a three-dimensional view from above of the vehicle and which is positioned to the left of the 20Γ image.

As shown in FIG. 7, the images 101 'of the first image stream 100' are here formed of two views represented in juxtaposed position, including a bird view 61 which is positioned at the top left of the image 101 'and which is shifted 90 degrees to the left (with respect to this same view shown in the 20Γ images), and a view 62 which corresponds to a three-dimensional view of the vehicle, which is positioned to the right of the image 101 'and which is swapped from 90 degrees to the left (compared to the same view shown on the 20Γ images).

In practice, as shown in FIG. 8, the view 62 extends over the entire height of the images 201 'of the second image stream 200' and over two-thirds of the height of these images, while the view 61 extends on the remaining third of these images.

As shown in FIG. 6, the view 62 extends over the entire height of the images 101 'of the first image stream 101' and over less than half the width of these images, while the view 61 extends in width. on less than half the width of these images and in height on less than half the height of these images.

The third operation consists, for the main computer 10, in transmitting the two image streams 100 ', 200' to the multimedia computer 22. This third operation is implemented in the same manner as described above.

The fourth operation consists, for the multimedia computer 22, in selecting one of the two image streams 100 ', 200' and controlling its display on the screen 21.

In practice, if the second image stream 200 'is selected, the multimedia calculator 22 controls the display of the images 201' on the screen 21 without modifying them.

On the other hand, if the first image stream 100 'is selected, the multimedia calculator 22 controls the rocking of the images 101' at 90 degrees to the right and the cutting of part of these images (the hatched portion in FIG. adapting their dimensions and formats to those of the screen 21. It then controls the display of the images thus modified on the screen 21.

Claims (5)

A method of displaying images on a screen (21) of a motor vehicle display system (20), comprising: - an operation of generating a first image stream (100; 100 '), a transmission operation of the first image stream (100; 100 ') to said display system (20), and - an image display operation on said screen (21), characterized in that: in the generation operation, a second image stream (200; 200 ') is generated, - during the transmission operation, the first and second image streams (100, 200; 100', 200 ') are transmitted to said display system (20), and - during the display operation, it is provided to select one of said first and second image streams (100, 200; 100 ', 200') and display on the screen (21) only the selected stream of images. 2. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein, during the transmission operation, the images of the first and second image streams (100,200; 100 ', 200') are transmitted to said display system (20) in an interleaved manner. 3. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein: during the transmission operation, the images of the first and second images (100, 200; 100 ', 200') are transmitted to said display system (20) alternately, and - during the display operation, only one image out of two is selected. 4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which - during the generation operation, the images of at least one of the first and second image streams (100, 200; 100 ', 200') are equipped with a mark (110, 210) for distinguishing them from the images of the other of the two image streams (100, 200, 100 ', 200'), and - during the display operation, the images are selected depending on the presence of mark (110, 210) and / or the characteristics of the mark. 5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, in the degeneration step, one of the first and second image stream (100) consists of landscape format images while the other stream of images 'images (200) consists of portrait auformat images. 6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: during the generation operation, the two image streams (100 ', 200') are generated in the same landscape or portrait format, and - when of the display operation, if one of the two image streams (100 ') is selected, it is intended to switch its images to 90 degrees before displaying them on the screen (21) and, if the other of the two image streams (200 ') is selected, it is expected to display its images on the screen (21) without switching them. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the generation operation and the display operation are implemented by separate computer calculators (10, 22). 8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which, if one of the two predefined image streams (100 ') is selected, it is planned to cut a predetermined part of each of its images before displaying them on the screen. (21). The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the images of at least one of the first and second image streams (100, 200; 100 ', 200') comprise at least two distinct views (51, 52). representing the exterior environment of the motor vehicle. 10. Motor vehicle comprising: - image sensors (30), - a display system (20) comprising a screen (21), and - at least one computer computer (10, 22), characterized in that said at least one computing computer (10, 22) is adapted to implement a method according to one of the preceding claims.