Abstract:
A driving assistant system includes a plurality of cameras configured to capture wide-angle views around a vehicle; a monitor, a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) connected to the plurality of cameras, and a digital signal processor connected to the FPGA and the monitor. The FPGA converts the wide-angle images to flat plane images. The digital signal processor combines the plane images into a single panoramic image and sends the panoramic image to the monitor. The monitor displays the panoramic image, to assist the driver by eliminating any blind spots. The present disclosure further discloses a driving assistant method based upon the above driving assistant system.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This application are related to co-pending application entitled, “DRIVING ASSISTANT SYSTEM AND METHOD,” filed on ***, application Ser. No. ***, (Atty. Docket No. US48635), and “DRIVING ASSISTANT SYSTEM AND METHOD,” filed on ***, application Ser. No. ***, (Atty. Docket No. US48636). 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a driving assistant system and method. 
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
       [0003]    For safety while driving, a small camera is mounted on a vehicle and directed to a specific direction to take an image not directly viewable by a driver&#39;s eye. The taken image is displayed on a monitor of the vehicle. However, the camera cannot take images surrounding the vehicle, and some blind spots still exist. 
         [0004]    Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an embodiment of a driving assistant system. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates mounting positions of four cameras of the driving assistant system of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  illustrates a flow chart of an embodiment of a driving assistant method. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0009]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation. In the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of a driving assistant system comprising a plurality of cameras, a first analog-to-digital (A/D) converter  21 , a second A/D converter  22 , a first filter module  31 , a second filter module  32 , a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)  40 , a digital signal processor (DSP)  70 , a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter  80 , and a monitor  90 . The plurality of cameras comprises a first camera  11 , a second camera  12 , a third camera  13 , and a fourth camera  14 . A first Static Random Access Memory (SRAM)  51  and a second SRAM  52  are connected to the FPGA  40  to store static data for the FPGA  40 . A Dynamic Random Access memory (DRAM)  60  is connected to the FPGA  40  to store dynamic data for the FPGA  40 . 
         [0011]    The first camera  11  and the second camera  12  are connected to the first A/D converter  21 . The third camera  13  and the fourth camera  14  are connected to the second A/D converter  22 . The first A/D converter  21  is connected to the first filter module  31 . The second A/D converter  22  is connected to the second filter module  32 . Output terminals of the first filter module  31  and the second filter module  32  are connected to the FPGA  40 . The DSP  70  is connected to the FPGA  40 . The D/A converter  80  is connected to the DSP  70 . The monitor  90  is connected to the D/A converter  80 . 
         [0012]      FIG. 2  shows mounting positions of the first camera  11 , a second camera  12 , a third camera  13 , and a fourth camera  14 . In one embodiment, the first camera  11  is attached to a front central portion of a vehicle  100 . The second camera  12  and the third camera  13  can be attached to two rearview mirrors of the vehicle  100 . The fourth camera  14  is attached to a rear central portion of the vehicle  100 . Each of the plurality of cameras is a wide-angle lens infrared camera (e.g., 170 degrees lens). The plurality of cameras can capture images around the vehicle, thus virtually eliminating any blind spot. 
         [0013]    Each of the plurality of cameras comprises a fish-eye lens to capture a wide-angle image around the vehicle  100 . The fish-eye image comprises analog signals which carry information of the fish-eye image. The first A/D converter  21  and the second A/D converter  22  convert analog signals to digital signals. The digital signals are filtered by the first filter module  31  and the second filter module  32 . The 
         [0014]    FPGA  40  converts the digital signals of the fish-eye image into digital signals representing a plane or flat image. Thus, the fish-eye image can be converted to a plane image. The DSP  70  combines the converted digital signals coming from the plurality of cameras to obtain a panoramic image which provides a 360° view around the vehicle  100 . The combined digital signals are converted to analog signals by the 
         [0015]    D/A converter  80  for display on the monitor  90 . The monitor  90  displays the panoramic image. The DSP  70  increases the data processing speed of the driving assistant system. In one embodiment, the FPGA  40  is an XC6SLX45 chip. The DSP  70  is a TMS320DM643 chip. 
         [0016]      FIG. 3  shows a flow chart of an embodiment of a driving assistant method based upon the above driving assistant system. The driving assistant method comprises the following blocks. 
         [0017]    In block S 01 , the plurality of cameras take fish-eye images around the vehicle  100 . 
         [0018]    In block S 02 , the plurality of cameras sends analog signals of the fish-eye images to the first A/D converter  21  and the second A/D converter  22 . In particular, analog signals coming from the first camera  11  and the second camera are sent to the first A/D converter  21 . Analog signals coming from the third camera  13  and the fourth camera  14  are sent to the second A/D converter  22 . 
         [0019]    In block S 03 , the first A/D converter  21  and the second A/D converter  22  convert the analog signals to digital signals. In particular, the first A/D converter  21  converts the analog signals coming from the first camera  11  and the second camera  12  to digital signals. The second A/D converter  22  converts the analog signals coming from the third camera  13  and the fourth camera  14  to digital signals. 
         [0020]    In block S 04 , the first filter module  31  and the second filter module  32  filter the digital signals output from the first A/D converter  21  and the second A/D converter  22 . In particularly, the first filter module  31  filters the digital signals coming from the first A/D converter  21 . The second filter module  32  filters the digital signals coming from the second A/D converter  22 . 
         [0021]    In block S 05 , the first filter module  31  and the second filter module  32  send the filtered digital signals to the FPGA  40 . 
         [0022]    In block S 06 , the FPGA  40  stores the filtered digital signals to the first SRAM  51  and the second SRAM  52 . In particular, the filtered digital signals coming from the first filter module  31  are stored in the first SRAM  51 . The filtered digital signals coming from the second filter module  32  are stored in the second SRAM  52 . 
         [0023]    In block S 07 , the FPGA  40  converts the filtered digital signals coming from each camera into a single digital image representing a plane or flat image. Thus, each fish-eye image captured by each of the plurality of cameras is converted and adds to the plane image. 
         [0024]    In block S 08 , the FPGA  40  sends the converted digital signals to the DSP  70 . 
         [0025]    In block S 09 , the DSP  70  combines the converted digital signals coming from the FPGA  40  to obtain a panoramic image which provides a 360° view around the vehicle. The fish-eye images captured by the plurality of cameras have overlapping areas. In this combining step, the DSP  70  takes average data of the overlapping areas. 
         [0026]    In block S 10 , the DSP  70  sends combined digital signals representing the panoramic image to the D/A converter  80 . 
         [0027]    In block S 11 , the D/A converter  80  converts the digital signals representing the panoramic image to analog signals and sends the panoramic analog signals to the monitor  90 . 
         [0028]    In block S 12 , the monitor  90  displays the panoramic image. 
         [0029]    While the present disclosure has been illustrated by the description of embodiments thereof, and while the preferred embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such details. Additional advantages and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present disclosure is not to be limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described. 
         [0030]    Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps of methods described may be removed, others may be added, and the sequence of steps may be altered. It is also to be understood that the description and the claims drawn to a method may include some indication in reference to certain steps. However, any indication used is only to be viewed for identification purposes and not as a suggestion as to an order for the steps.