FR3061780A1 - METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A MOTOR VEHICLE DISPLAY AND CORRESPONDING DISPLAY - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a display (16) visible to the driver of a motor vehicle (10), which comprises steps of: - acquiring at least one image of the environment of the motor vehicle detecting objects (50, 51, 52, 53) located in the environment of the motor vehicle, determining a level of importance for each detected object, computing, taking into account the image. acquired, a visibility coefficient for at least a portion of the detected objects, and - control of the display so that it only highlights the objects whose visibility coefficients are below a visibility threshold and whose significance levels are above a significance threshold.

Description

Holder (s): VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH Simplified joint-stock company.

O Extension request (s):

® Agent (s): VALEO COMFORT AND DRIVING ASSISTANCE.

FR 3 061 780 - A1 ® PROCESS FOR DRIVING A CORRESPONDING DISPLAY.

@) The invention relates to a method for controlling a display (16) visible to the driver of a motor vehicle (10), which comprises steps:

- acquisition of at least one image of the environment of the motor vehicle,

- detection of objects (50, 51, 52, 53) located in the environment of the motor vehicle,

- determining a level of importance for each object detected,

- calculation, taking into account the image acquired, of a visibility coefficient for at least part of the objects detected, and

- control of the display so that it highlights only objects whose visibility coefficients are below a visibility threshold and whose importance levels are greater than an importance threshold.

OF MOTOR VEHICLE, AND DISPLAY

METHOD FOR DRIVING A MOTOR VEHICLE DISPLAY, AND CORRESPONDING DISPLAY

Technical field to which the invention relates

The present invention relates generally to driving aids for motor vehicles.

It relates more particularly to a method for controlling a display visible to the driver of a motor vehicle, typically a head-up display or a display screen.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

To make driving easier and safer, we want to avoid the driver being forced to look away from the road he is taking.

For this, it is known to use a head-up display, adapted to project information at the level of the driver's gaze.

The variety of information that can be projected into the driver's field of vision is so great that it is necessary to select what seems most useful to the driver.

In fact, it is possible to display information relating to the operation of the vehicle (speed, fuel level, automatic cruise speed, etc.), guidance information (route to be followed, distance to the next fork, name of the route taken ...), or even safety information (speed limit, risk of traffic jam nearby ...). It is also known, when an obstacle is detected, to display a rectangle around this obstacle in order to draw the driver's attention to this obstacle so that the driver can react in the best possible safety conditions.

Currently, only a few rare pieces of information are selected to be projected into the driver's field of vision so as not to overload the driver with information and not to disturb him in his driving. Among this information, when an obstacle is detected nearby, a rectangle is systematically displayed around this obstacle.

Object of the invention

In order not to overload the information conductor, the present invention proposes a new method for controlling a display (display screen or head-up display), comprising steps:

- acquisition of at least one piece of data representative of the environment of the motor vehicle (typically an image of this environment),

- detection of objects located in the environment of the motor vehicle,

- determining a level of importance for at least part of the objects detected,

- calculation, taking into account the data acquired, of a visibility coefficient for at least part of the objects detected, and

- control the display so that it only highlights objects whose visibility coefficients are below a visibility threshold and whose importance levels are above an importance threshold.

Thus, thanks to the invention, only objects which are deemed not only important for driving the vehicle safely, but also not very visible to the driver are highlighted.

In this way, an obstacle detected will not be systematically highlighted, which will avoid overloading the driver with information. This will make it easier for the driver to focus on driving.

Other advantageous and non-limiting characteristics of the process according to the invention are as follows:

- the level of importance of each object is determined as a function at least of the form of said object, said form being obtained on the basis of said acquired data;

- it is planned to determine, depending at least on the shape of each object, whether each object is or is not a road infrastructure, and a level of importance greater than the importance threshold is assigned to each object which is considered to be a road infrastructure and which is located at a distance from the motor vehicle below a distance threshold;

- Said data is an image acquired by an image sensor oriented towards the front of the motor vehicle;

- the level of importance of each object is determined as a function at least of the position of said object on several successively acquired images;

- the trajectory of each object is determined according to the position of said object on several successively acquired images and a level of importance greater than the importance threshold is assigned to each object which is mobile and whose trajectory intersects that of the motor vehicle;

- at the ordering stage, each highlighted object is illuminated over at least part of its outline;

- the color and / or the light intensity of the illumination is determined according to the visibility coefficient and / or the level of importance;

- in the detection step, each object is detected as a function at least of the data contained in the acquired image;

- At the detection step, it is planned to acquire data relating to the environment of the motor vehicle by means of a second sensor which equips the motor vehicle and which is distinct from the sensor which acquires each data item, and each object is detected as a function of at least the data acquired by said second sensor; and

- the visibility coefficient of each object is determined as a function of the contrast of said object with respect to at least the part of the image located around said object.

The invention also provides a display comprising means for generating images and a unit for calculating and piloting said means for generating images which is suitable for implementing a piloting method as mentioned above.

Detailed description of an exemplary embodiment

The description which follows with reference to the appended drawings, given by way of nonlimiting examples, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be carried out.

In the accompanying drawings:

- Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a motor vehicle traveling on a road;

- Figure 2 is a schematic representation of an image acquired by an image sensor fitted to the motor vehicle of Figure 1; and

- Figure 3 is a schematic representation of an image displayed by a head-up display fitted to the motor vehicle of Figure 1.

In Figure 1, there is shown a motor vehicle 10 which is here in the form of a four-wheeled car 11. Alternatively, it could be a motor vehicle comprising three wheels, or more wheels.

Conventionally, this motor vehicle 10 comprises a chassis which in particular supports a powertrain 13, bodywork elements and cabin elements.

The motor vehicle 10 also comprises one or more electronic control unit (s) (or ECU, from the English Electronic Control Unit). For the sake of simplicity, we will consider here that there is only one, called calculator 12.

This computer 12 includes a processor and a storage unit, for example a rewritable non-volatile memory or a hard disk.

The storage unit records in particular computer programs comprising instructions whose execution by the processor allows the implementation by the computer of the method described below.

For the implementation of this method, the computer 12 is connected to various pieces of equipment of the motor vehicle 10.

Among these pieces of equipment, the motor vehicle 10 comprises at least one image sensor 17 and a display 16. It further includes here a distance detector, for example of the LIDAR, RADAR or SONAR type. We will consider here that it is a RADAR 18 detector.

The image sensor is here formed by a camera 17 which is oriented towards the front, so that it can acquire images of a portion of the road located at the front of the vehicle.

This camera 17 is shown here as being fixed in the front bumper of the vehicle. Alternatively, it could be located otherwise, for example at the rear of the vehicle windshield.

This camera 17 is suitable for acquiring images of a portion of the road located at the front of the vehicle and for communicating these images (or data from these images) to the computer 12 of the vehicle.

The RADAR detector 18 is also oriented towards the front of the vehicle and is suitable for communicating the detected data to the computer 12.

In this way, thanks to the data recorded by the camera 17 and by the RADAR detector 18, the computer 12 is able to understand the environment located at the front of the vehicle.

The display 16 could be in the form of a display screen located on the dashboard of the vehicle.

However, preferably, it will rather be a head-up display 16 adapted to display information in the field of vision of the driver when the latter is looking at the road in front of the vehicle.

This head-up display 16 includes for this purpose means for generating and projecting images in the driver's field of vision. In a first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, it notably comprises a partially reflecting strip (commonly called a “combiner”) located in the driver's field of vision. In another embodiment, the windshield can act as a combiner.

This head-up display 16 may also include its own computer or it may on the contrary be connected to the computer 12 of the motor vehicle. In the rest of this talk, we will consider the latter solution.

The head-up display 16 is of a special kind in that it is adapted to display information superimposed on the environment. Otherwise formulated, as will be well explained in the rest of this presentation, it will be able to display information relating to a part of the environment so that it will be seen by the driver as being located at the height of this part.

The present invention therefore relates to a way of driving this head-up display 16 which makes it possible to bring out objects which are not very visible and which are also of interest for driving the vehicle safely.

This process is more particularly interesting to implement when the light conditions are reduced (in fog, cloudy or night weather).

According to a particularly advantageous characteristic of the invention, this process comprises the following five main stages:

a step of acquiring at least given data representative of the environment of the motor vehicle 10, here being in the form of an image 30,

a step of detecting objects 40, 50, 51, 52, 53 located in the environment of the motor vehicle 10 (obstacles, road infrastructures, etc.),

a step of determining a level of importance Ni for at least part of the objects 40, 50, 51, 52, 53 detected,

- a step of calculating a visibility coefficient Cv for at least part of the objects 40, 50, 51, 52, 53 detected, and

a step of controlling the head-up display 16 so that it highlights only the objects 40, 50, 51, 52, 53 whose visibility coefficients Cv are less than a visibility threshold Sv and whose importance levels Ni are greater than an importance threshold Si.

To better understand the object of the invention, the above five steps can be described in more detail.

During the first step, the camera 17 acquires images at a given frequency which the computer 12 then stores.

One of these images 30 has been represented in FIG. 2.

You can see not only the route taken by the vehicle, but also road infrastructure and obstacles.

Road infrastructure is here defined as "objects" intentionally placed on or along the road and which provide information to facilitate the safe driving of the vehicle. Among these road infrastructures, a panel 50 is observed here, a discontinuous line 51 on the left side of the road, a central continuous line 52, and terminals 53 located along the road.

Obstacles are defined here as objects that are likely to be struck by the vehicle. Among the obstacles, we see, in addition to the sign 50 and the terminals 53, a pedestrian 40 who is walking and getting ready to cross the road. The trajectory, speed and direction of each obstacle can be calculated as a function of the position of this obstacle on the successively acquired images.

During the second step, the computer 12 will seek to detect all the objects deemed important to facilitate the driving of the motor vehicle 10 by the driver in complete safety.

The computer will more precisely seek to detect at least obstacles and road infrastructure.

This detection step can be implemented only by analysis of the images 30 successively acquired by the camera 18.

It can also be implemented by merging data. This data fusion operation consists in combining the data recorded on the images 30 successively acquired with the data recorded by the RADAR detector 18, so as to precisely determine the positions and trajectories of the obstacles 40, 50, 53.

The third and fourth steps will then consist in determining the level of importance Ni and the visibility coefficient Cv of at least part of these objects 40, 50, 51,52, 53. They can be implemented successively or simultaneously , any one before the other.

Here, we will only calculate the importance level Ni of objects located at a distance from the vehicle less than a distance threshold. We will then calculate the visibility coefficient Cv of these same objects.

Thus, only objects not far from the vehicle will be considered.

This distance threshold will be variable. It will vary depending in particular on the speed of the motor vehicle 10.

Alternatively, one could start by calculating only the importance level Ni of the objects located at a distance from the vehicle below the distance threshold, then calculate the visibility coefficient Cv of the only objects whose importance level Ni is high.

Conversely, we could start by calculating only the visibility coefficient Cv of objects located at a distance from the vehicle below the distance threshold, then calculate the level of importance Ni of only objects whose visibility coefficient Cv is reduced.

In the embodiment considered here, during the third step, we therefore begin by selecting, among the objects detected, those which are located at a distance from the vehicle less than the distance threshold.

Then, we determine the shapes of these objects, their exact positions, their speeds and their directions.

If an object is stationary and its shape indicates that it is a road infrastructure, the computer 12 assigns to this object an importance level Ni greater than the importance threshold Si.

If an object is mobile and its trajectory is such that it intersects that of the motor vehicle (which indicates a potential risk of accident), the computer 12 assigns to this object a level of importance Ni greater than the threshold of importance Yes.

Otherwise, the computer 12 assigns to the object under consideration an importance level Ni lower than the importance threshold Si.

Then, during the fourth step, the computer determines the visibility coefficient Cv of each object 40, 50, 51, 52, 53 located at a distance from the vehicle less than the distance threshold.

This visibility coefficient Cv is determined taking into account only the data contained in the last image 30 acquired. It is in particular calculated as a function of the contrast of said object with respect to the image area 30 located around this object.

The calculation of such a visibility coefficient Cv is already known to those skilled in the art and it will therefore not be described here in detail. It is for example described in the document published in 2005 by Messrs Nicolas Hautière, Raphaël Labayrade and Didier Aubert, which is entitled "Detection of Visibility condition through use of onboard cameras" (Jean Monnet University - Saint Etienne).

Finally, during the fifth step, the computer selects only part of the objects detected with a view to bringing them out on the head-up display 16. The objects selected are those whose visibility coefficient Cv is below the visibility threshold Sv and whose level of importance Ni is greater than the threshold of importance Si.

Thanks to this selection, the number of objects highlighted remains reduced, which avoids unnecessarily disturbing the driver. More specifically, potentially dangerous but clearly visible obstacles are not highlighted since it is considered that the driver will be able to detect them by himself. Likewise, obstacles that are not very visible but potentially harmless are not highlighted.

It will be noted here that the visibility threshold Sv will be fixed regardless of the ambient brightness. It will be adjusted according to the contrast threshold perceptible by the eye (it will preferably be chosen lower than this).

We can consider different methods to highlight the selected objects.

One of these methods, illustrated in Figure 2, will consist of surrounding each selected object with a geometric figure (here a rectangle).

Another of these methods, which will be preferred and which is illustrated in FIG. 3, will consist for the head-up display 16 in projecting an image 31 on which the contours of the selected objects appear.

In any case, the exact outline or the overall outline of these objects will thus be illuminated in such a way that the driver's attention will be drawn to these objects.

The color and / or the luminous intensity of the illumination may be invariable or may on the contrary vary, depending in particular on the visibility coefficient Cv and / or the level of importance Ni and / or the type of object selected. Thus, for example, we can draw the outline of a dangerous obstacle in red and that of an infrastructure in white.

The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and shown, but the person skilled in the art will know how to make any variant thereof in accordance with the invention.

Thus, according to a variant of the invention, it will be possible to use (instead of the camera) another type of sensor, provided that the latter can provide usable data for determining visibility coefficients and risk levels . As an example, this sensor could be a three-dimensional scanner (better known by the English name "Laser Scanner").

Claims (12)

1. Method for controlling a display (16) visible to the driver of a motor vehicle (10), characterized in that it comprises steps: - acquisition of at least one data item (30) representative of the environment of the motor vehicle (10), - detection of objects (40, 50, 51, 52, 53) located in the environment of the motor vehicle (10), - determining a level of importance (Ni) for at least part of the objects (40, 50, 51,52, 53) detected, - calculation, taking into account said data (30) acquired, of a visibility coefficient (Cv) for at least part of the objects (40, 50, 51.52, 53) detected, - control of the display (16) so that it highlights only the objects (40, 50, 51, 52, 53) whose visibility coefficients (Cv) are below a visibility threshold ( Sv) and whose importance levels (Ni) are greater than an importance threshold (Si). 2. A control method according to the preceding claim, in which the level of importance (Ni) of each object (40, 50, 51, 52, 53) is determined as a function at least of the shape of said object (40, 50, 51, 52, 53), said form being obtained on the basis of said acquired data (30). 3. A piloting method according to the preceding claim, in which it is intended to determine, as a function at least of the shape of each object (40, 50, 51, 52, 53), whether each object is or is not a road infrastructure, and in which an importance level (Ni) greater than the importance threshold (Si) is assigned to each object (50, 51, 52, 53) which is considered as a road infrastructure and which is located at a distance from the vehicle automobile (10) below a distance threshold. 4. A driving method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said datum (30) is an image acquired by an image sensor oriented towards the front of the motor vehicle (10). 5. Control method according to the preceding claim, in which the level of importance (Ni) of each object (40, 50, 51, 52, 53) is determined as a function at least of the position of said object (40, 50, 51, 52, 53) on several images (30) successively acquired. 6. A piloting method according to the preceding claim, in which the trajectory of each object (40, 50, 51, 52, 53) is determined as a function of the position of said object (40, 50, 51, 52, 53) over several successively acquired images (30) and a level of importance (Ni) greater than the importance threshold (Si) is assigned to each object (40) which is mobile and whose trajectory intersects that of the motor vehicle (10). 7. Piloting method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the ordering step, each object (40, 50, 51, 52, 53) highlighted is illuminated on at least part of its contour. 8. Piloting method according to the preceding claim, wherein the color and / or the light intensity of the illumination is determined as a function of the visibility coefficient (Cv) and / or the level of importance (Ni). 9. Control method according to one of the preceding claims, taken in combination with claim 4, wherein in the detection step, each object (40, 50, 51, 52, 53) is detected according to at least the data contained in the image (30) acquired. 10. Control method according to one of the preceding claims, in which in the detection step, provision is made to acquire data relating to the environment of the motor vehicle (10) by means of a second sensor (18 ) which equips the motor vehicle (10) and which is distinct from the sensor (17) which acquires each data (30), and each object (40, 50, 51, 52, 53) is detected as a function at least of the data acquired by said second sensor (18). 11. Piloting method according to one of the preceding claims, taken in combination with claim 4, in which the visibility coefficient (Cv) of each object (40, 50, 51,52, 53) is determined according to the contrast of said object (40, 50, 51, 52, 53) with respect to at least the part of the image (30) located around said object (40, 50, 51.52, 53). 12. Display (16) comprising means for generating images and a unit for calculating and controlling said means for generating images, characterized in that said unit for calculating and piloting is suitable for implementing a method of piloting according to one of the preceding claims.