Camera system for use in vehicle parking

1. A method for assisting in vehicle parking, comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle with at least one of a forward-looking camera and a backward-looking camera;

using the camera to capture an image of a parking area including at least one unoccupied parking space and a plurality of parking spaces occupied by other vehicles;

creating a homography of the captured image;

using the homography to estimate an image of the parking area from an overhead viewpoint;

displaying a portion of the overhead image including the unoccupied parking space on a display screen within a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

measuring a size of the unoccupied parking space, the measuring being performed on the captured image and/or the overhead image; and

providing an indication to a user of a success rate of previous parallel parking attempts in unoccupied parking spaces having sizes substantially equal to the measured size.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of automatically detecting the unoccupied parking space in the overhead image.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of providing a representation of a current location of the vehicle in the overhead image.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the representation of the current location of the vehicle in the overhead image is continuously updated.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

calculating an optimal path for the vehicle to take to drive into the unoccupied parking space; and

displaying the optimal path on the display screen.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising the further steps of:

comparing the measured size of the unoccupied parking space to a size of the vehicle; and

providing to a user an indication of whether the unoccupied parking space is large enough to accommodate the vehicle, the providing of the indication being dependent upon the comparing step.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising the further step of receiving from the user a minimum distance by which the measured size of the unoccupied parking space should exceed the vehicle size in order for the indication to be provided that the unoccupied parking space is large enough to accommodate the vehicle, the providing of the indication being dependent upon the received minimum distance.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one of a forward-looking camera and a backward-looking camera comprises a forward-looking camera used for at least one of night vision, lane detection and road sign detection.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one of a forward-looking camera and a backward-looking camera comprises a backward-looking camera used for backover avoidance.

10. An electronic parking-assistance arrangement for a vehicle, said arrangement comprising:

at least one of a forward-looking camera and a backward-looking camera provided in the vehicle;

a processor coupled to the at least one camera, the processor being configured to:

receive first images of a parking area, the images being captured by the camera from a substantially horizontal viewpoint;

translate the first images into second images from a substantially vertical viewpoint;

identify an unoccupied parking space within the second images;

superimpose a representation of the vehicle onto the second images when the vehicle is substantially adjacent to the unoccupied parking space, a position of the vehicle representation relative to the unoccupied parking space in the second images being continuously updated to indicate an actual position of the vehicle relative to the unoccupied parking space;

measure a size of the unoccupied parking space, the measuring being performed on the first images and/or the second images; and

provide an indication to a user of a success rate of previous parallel parking attempts in unoccupied parking spaces having sizes substantially equal to the measured size; and

a display screen provided in a passenger compartment of the vehicle and coupled to the processor, the display screen being configured to receive and display the second images with the superimposed representations of the vehicle.

11. The arrangement of claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to:

create a homography of the first images; and

use the homography in translating the first images into the second images.

12. The arrangement of claim 10 wherein the at least one of a forward-looking camera and a backward-looking camera comprises a forward-looking camera, the processor being configured to use the forward-looking camera for at least one of night vision, lane detection and road sign detection.

13. The arrangement of claim 10 wherein the at least one of a forward-looking camera and a backward-looking camera comprises a backward-looking camera, the processor being configured to use the backward-looking camera for backover avoidance.

14. The arrangement of claim 10 further comprising an audio speaker, the processor being configured to transmit audio signals to the audio speaker, the audio signals including spoken instructions for parallel parking.

15. The arrangement of claim 10 further comprising a steering sensor coupled to the processor, the steering sensor being configured to:

sense a direction in which a tire of the vehicle is steered; and

transmit to the processor a direction signal indicative of the direction;

the processor being configured to:

calculate an expected path of the vehicle based on the direction signal; and

provide an indication in the second images of the calculated expected path of the vehicle.

16. The arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to:

calculate an optimal path branching off from the expected path; and

provide an indication in the second images of the optimal path.

17. A method of displaying map information, comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle with at least one of a forward-looking camera and a backward-looking camera;

using the camera to capture images of a parking area including at least one unoccupied parking space and a plurality of parking spaces occupied by other vehicles;

creating homographies of the captured images;

using the homographies to estimate images of the parking area from an overhead viewpoint;

determining positions of the vehicle relative to the overhead images as the vehicle moves;

displaying the overhead images on a display screen within a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the displayed overhead images including real time representations of the vehicle, positions of the vehicle representations within the overhead images being substantially continuously updated based on the determining step;

measuring a size of the unoccupied parking space, the measuring being performed on the captured images and/or the overhead images; and

providing an indication to a user of a success rate of previous parallel parking attempts in unoccupied parking spaces having sizes substantially equal to the measured size.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising the further step of dividing the homographies into substantially identical grids of cells, the displaying step being dependent upon one of a mean, mode and variance of pixel values in corresponding cells.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one of a forward-looking camera and a backward-looking camera comprises a forward-looking camera used for at least one of night vision, lane detection and road sign detection.

20. The method of claim 17 comprising the further steps of:

calculating an optimal path for the vehicle to take to drive into the unoccupied parking space; and

displaying the optimal path on the display screen.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one of a forward-looking camera and a backward-looking camera comprises a backward-looking camera used for backover avoidance.