Viewing system for vehicles, in particular commercial vehicles

Abstract

A viewing system for a vehicle, in particular a commercial vehicle, includes an image capture unit, a computing unit, and a reproducing unit. The image capture unit includes a lens, which has an optical axis, and a digital image sensing unit, and is configured to be attached to the vehicle such that a viewing area on the side of the vehicle is sensed with at least one part of a first legally-prescribed field of view and with at least one part of a second legally-prescribed field of view. The lens is disposed with respect to the digital image sensing unit such that the optical axis extends through the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle equipped with a viewing system the viewing system comprising:
 an image capture unit, a computing unit connected to the image capture unit, and a reproducing unit connected to the computing unit, 
 wherein the image capture unit comprises a lens, which has an optical axis, and a digital image sensing unit, and is attached to the vehicle such that, in use, a viewing area on the side of the vehicle is sensed with at least a part of a first legally-prescribed field of view and at least a part of a second legally-prescribed field of view, 
 wherein the lens is disposed with respect to the digital image sensing unit such that the optical axis intersects the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit at a point, and 
 wherein the point is located between a center of the digital image sensing unit and a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the digital image sensing unit is substantially symmetric and has at least one axis of symmetry. 
     
     
       3. The vehicle according to  claim 2 , wherein the optical axis extends skewed with respect to at least one of the axes of symmetry of the digital image sensing unit. 
     
     
       4. The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical axis extends through the vertical center of the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit. 
     
     
       5. The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical axis extends through the horizontal center of the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit. 
     
     
       6. The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical axis extends through the surface center of the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit. 
     
     
       7. The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the first legally-prescribed field of view corresponds to the field of view II defined in the UN/ECE Regulation No. 46 for main exterior mirrors, and the second legally-prescribed field of view corresponds to the field of view IV defined in the UN/ECE Regulation No. 46 for wide-angle exterior mirrors. 
     
     
       8. A viewing system for a commercial vehicle, including:
 an image capture unit comprising a lens having an optical axis and a digital image sensor having a sensor surface having a center point, the digital image sensor being positioned adjacent to the lens such that the optical axis intersects the sensor surface at an intersection point offset from the sensor surface center point; 
 a computing unit in communication with the image capture unit, and 
 a reproducing unit in communication with the computing unit, 
 wherein 
 the computing unit is configured to receive an image sensed by the image capture unit and to modify it into a reproduced image such that the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view sensed by the image capture unit and the sensed part of the second legally-prescribed field of view are contained in the reproduced image, and 
 the reproducing unit is configured to be disposed in the interior of the vehicle so as to be viewable by the driver and to display the reproduced image received from the computing unit. 
 
     
     
       9. The vehicle viewing system according to  claim 8 , wherein the image capture unit further includes a housing, in which the digital image sensing unit and a holding device for the digital image sensing unit are disposed, and wherein the lens is attached to the housing. 
     
     
       10. The vehicle viewing system according to  claim 9 , wherein the lens is disposed eccentric with respect not centered relative to the holding device and with respect is not centered relative to the digital image sensing unit. 
     
     
       11. The vehicle viewing system according to  claim 9 , wherein the digital image sensing unit is disposed eccentric with respect not centered relative to the holding device and is not centered relative to the lens. 
     
     
       12. The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the digital image sensing unit is a CMOS or CCD sensor. 
     
     
       13. The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the image capture unit is further configured to sense the viewing area from a birds-eye perspective. 
     
     
       14. The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the image capture unit is attached to a side of the vehicle such that the viewing area is sensed from front to rear in the forward driving direction of the vehicle. 
     
     
       15. The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the image capture unit comprises a single digital image sensing unit for sensing the parts of the first and second legally-prescribed field of view. 
     
     
       16. The vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical axis is offset from a center of the digital image sensing unit. 
     
     
       17. The vehicle viewing system according to  claim 8 , wherein the reproducing unit is configured to permanently display the reproduced image received from the computing unit. 
     
     
       18. The viewing system according to  claim 8 , wherein the image capture unit is configured to capture an image of a side of a vehicle to which the image sensor is attached and wherein the optical axis intersects the sensor surface at a location substantially midway between a first line including the side of the vehicle and a second, parallel, line including the center point of the sensor surface. 
     
     
       19. A vehicle equipped with a viewing system, the viewing system comprising:
 an image capture unit, a computing unit connected to the image capture unit, and a reproducing unit connected to the computing unit, 
 wherein the image capture unit comprises a lens, which has an optical axis, and a digital image sensing unit, and is attached to the vehicle such that, in use, a viewing area on the side of the vehicle is sensed with at least a part of a first legally-prescribed field of view and at least a part of a second legally-prescribed field of view, 
 wherein the first legally-prescribed field of view is a view from a perspective of a driver of the vehicle of at least a 4 meter wide, flat, horizontal portion of a road bounded on one side by a plane that a) is parallel to a median longitudinal vertical plane of the vehicle, b) passes through an outermost point of the vehicle on a driver's side of the vehicle or a passenger's side of the vehicle, and c) extends from a location 20 meters behind an eye of the driver of the vehicle to the horizon, and of a 1 meter wide portion of the road bounded by a plane a) parallel to the median longitudinal vertical plane of the vehicle, b) passing through the outermost point of the vehicle, and c) extending from a location 4 meters behind a vertical plane passing through the eye of the driver of the vehicle, and 
 wherein the lens is disposed with respect to the digital image sensing unit such that the optical axis extends through the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit. 
 
     
     
       20. The vehicle according to  claim 19 , wherein the optical axis extends through the vertical center of the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view that is reproduced on the digital image sensing unit. 
     
     
       21. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein
 the computing unit is configured to receive an image sensed by the image capture unit and to modify it into a reproduced image such that the part of the first legally-prescribed field of view sensed by the image capture unit and the sensed part of the second legally-prescribed field of view are contained in the reproduced image, and   the reproducing unit is configured to be disposed in the interior of the vehicle so as to be viewable by the driver and to display the reproduced image received from the computing unit.    
     
     
       22. The vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the reproducing unit is configured to permanently display the reproduced image received from the computing unit.  
     
     
       23. The vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the image capture unit further includes a housing, in which the digital image sensing unit and a holding device for the digital image sensing unit are disposed, and wherein the lens is attached to the housing.  
     
     
       24. The vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the lens is not centered relative to the holding device and is not centered relative to the digital image sensing unit.  
     
     
       25. The vehicle according to claim 23, wherein the digital image sensing unit is not centered relative to the holding device and is not centered relative to the lens.