DE102008064951B3 - Method for informing an occupant of a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for informing an occupant of a vehicle (1), in particular a motor vehicle, in which at least two images (102, 103, 103') are generated by recording means (2, 3, 4) of the vehicle (1), which contain different roadway sections of the roadway level in the vicinity of the vehicle (1), and in which the at least two images (102, 103, 103') are processed by means of an image processing unit and displayed on a display unit (5) in the vehicle interior, and in which a representation is generated in which the at least two images (102, 103, 103') are mapped onto a virtual lane level, the virtual lane level being reproduced in perspective. The generated representation contains at least one additional virtual plane that deviates from the virtual roadway plane, with part of the vehicle environment being mapped onto the at least one additional virtual plane and with the at least one additional virtual plane essentially being represented as being perpendicular to the virtual roadway plane.

Description

The invention relates to a method for providing information to at least one occupant of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, in which at least two images are generated by the vehicle's recording means, which contain different roadway sections of the roadway plane in the area surrounding the vehicle, and in which the at least two images are recorded by means of processed by an image processing unit and displayed on a display unit in the vehicle interior.

Methods for driver information, in which a plurality of images of sections of the road surrounding the vehicle are reproduced on a display unit, are known from the prior art. The pamphlet DE 10 2006 036 933 A1 shows such a method in which several individual images of the vehicle environment captured by vehicle cameras are suitably transformed in order to thereby generate an overall image which reproduces a bird's-eye view of a contour of the vehicle and suitably composed individual images of the vehicle environment on a display unit.

From the document DE 10 2006 007 493 A1 a device for viewing the periphery of a vehicle is known, a horizontal front area and a vertical area in front of and below the vehicle being recorded with an imaging camera in the front area of the vehicle. The areas are put together in a display unit to form a panorama image of the area in front of the vehicle. The vertical area in front of the vehicle is distorted in a convex manner in order to create a corresponding perspective.

Known methods for driver information have the disadvantage that a large number of images are often recorded, which contain different areas of the vehicle environment, but these cannot be reproduced in a suitable manner in a single representation on a display unit in the vehicle interior. Due to the shape of a vehicle, several cameras are necessary, especially for capturing the immediate near field. The user often cannot correctly assign the individual images to the real environment. It is difficult for the user to understand the actual position of the objects depicted in one or more images.

The document EP 1 179 958 A1 discloses an image processing device having an image processing part for receiving the images of a plurality of cameras that pick up images of the vehicle surroundings to generate therefrom a synthetic image showing the vehicle surroundings from a virtual point of view. In this case, the image processing part changes at least one of three parameters depending on an operating state of the vehicle. The parameters are a position, a line of sight, and a focal length of the virtual viewpoint.

The document U.S. 6,222,447 B1 discloses a rear vision system for a vehicle with a gear shift, comprising an image pickup device at the rear of the vehicle with a rearward field of view, comprising a display system viewable by the driver of the vehicle, which displays a rearward image output by the image pickup device. When the vehicle is put into reverse gear, a graphic overlay is added to the reverse image, which contains indicia of the vehicle's trajectory when reversing.

The object of the invention is therefore to create a method for informing the at least one vehicle occupant or a corresponding system or a corresponding vehicle, which generates a representation of different areas in the vehicle environment that the driver can easily understand.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention result from the dependent claims.

According to the invention, at least two images are generated by recording means of the vehicle, which contain different roadway sections of the roadway plane in the vicinity of the vehicle. “Different roadway sections of the roadway plane” are to be understood as meaning roadway areas that are produced in particular with different recording means that are provided at the various installation points in the vehicle and/or correspond to different views relative to the vehicle orientation, e.g. from above, to the side, backwards. In particular, these are areas of the vehicle environment that depict the parts of the roadway and possibly the objects located thereon in such a way that the parts of the roadway do not overlap at least in a partial area, in particular do not overlap at all or only slightly.

Recording means are to be understood as meaning one or more devices that provide the driver of the vehicle with an image of a section of the vehicle environment and are technically suitable for implementing the features of the invention. Devices that provide a pictorial section of the vehicle environment that can be displayed to the driver are entitled to are subsumed within the scope of this application under the term “imaging devices”. The imaging devices in this sense include both those that are based on camera images (also, for example, images recorded in the infrared wavelength range) and those that are based on synthetic images, i.e. images generated mathematically, for example from sensor data, which, for example, are based on scanning or “scanning ' of the environment may be generated by a radar device, a lidar device, ultrasonic sensors or clusters of such sensors, or similar sensing means. In particular, the images can contain both a part of the vehicle environment and an artificially generated graphic, for example synthesized using the sensor data, and/or a symbolic graphic.

Such cases of real-time image generation based on sensing the environment are also covered by the term “generation of at least two images by recording means”. An imaging device in the above sense can also consist of multiple cameras and/or other sensors, the images of which are combined to form a single image. The term "image" is not only to be understood as meaning a static image representing a single shot of the environment, but also a dynamically changing image in the form of an image stream of consecutive images, e.g. in the form of an MPEG video stream or a sequence of frames.

In the method according to the invention, the at least two images are processed using an image processing unit and displayed on a display unit in the vehicle interior, with the display unit being able to include any device with which images can be displayed visually, in particular flat screen displays, head-up displays, 3D displays, (3D) projection devices. In a preferred variant, the display unit is a central vehicle display. The term vehicle can in particular mean a motor vehicle, an aircraft, a watercraft or an amphibious vehicle. Accordingly, the roadway section can also be understood as the water surface or, for example, parts of a runway.

The method according to the invention is characterized in that a representation comprising a virtual roadway plane is generated, with at least two images being mapped onto the virtual roadway plane and the virtual roadway plane being reproduced in perspective, with the perspective reproduction preferably being defined by the boundary shape of the virtual roadway plane and/or the arrangement of the at least two images relative to one another is generated.

The term "virtual lane level" is to be understood in such a way that the perspective of the virtual lane level does not correspond to the perspective of the recording means and in particular does not come from the content of the images, but only through the method according to the invention, in particular through a representation of the virtual lane level in a corresponding form and arrangement of the images to each other, is generated. The at least two transformed images are essentially imaged on a virtual road plane. In other words, the virtual road plane is represented as a perspectively inclined plane whose perspective does not correspond to the perspective of the recording means. The virtual lane level gives the at least one vehicle occupant the basic direction of the lane, which is seen from a specific perspective.

The term "perspective rendering of the virtual lane level" is to be understood in such a way that the virtual lane level is represented spatially or quasi-spatially in a special perspective or one determined according to special criteria, so that the viewer has a three-dimensional spatial impression, in particular in relation to the spatial orientation of the virtual road plane, is conveyed. In particular, perspective representations include representations in which the parts of a virtual plane are perceived as being at different depths relative to the display surface of the display unit and/or as being differently aligned relative to it. A perspective representation in this sense therefore does not include a representation without a spatial impression, such as representations in a plan view.

The method according to the invention has the advantage that the arrangement and the position of individual roadway sections in the vicinity of the vehicle can be quickly and intuitively detected by the driver using a quasi-spatial representation. A representation in which the perspective of the reproduced virtual roadway plane essentially corresponds to the orientation of the actual roadway plane that could be seen by the driver of the vehicle if his vehicle were transparent to the side, for example, is particularly understandable.

The representation of the virtual roadway, which corresponds to the user's perception obliquely downwards and forwards, in particular in a perceived viewing angle range between 30° and 60° between the viewing direction and the virtual roadway plane, is particularly advantageous. In addition, a very good utilization is thus achieved the display area of a typically shaped horizontally extended vehicle display. The display allows a sufficiently detailed depiction of the areas that otherwise could not be displayed, for example, on a typical vehicle screen with an aspect ratio of 9:16, without being unnaturally shrunk in the process.

The perspective reproduction can preferably be reinforced by an additional reference figure, e.g. a frame and/or an additional generated and displayed spatially effective graphic image that is displayed by the display unit. The reference figure can be designed in such a way that it characterizes the extent and/or orientation of the virtual space. The reference figure thus helps the user with orientation and enhances the spatial perception of the rest of the representation.

It is particularly advantageous that at least two images, which essentially capture a roadway plane or objects located on a roadway plane from different installation points on the vehicle and/or are oriented differently relative to the coordinate system of the vehicle, are mapped onto the same virtual roadway plane or parts thereof, with it is advantageous for the user if the virtual road plane has a different perspective orientation than the recording means. This allows the user to correctly interpret the images.

It is particularly advantageous that the at least two images are mapped onto the virtual roadway plane by means of a geometric transformation, which is applied in such a way that the transformation of the at least two images essentially corresponds to the perspective in which the virtual roadway plane is displayed Image can also be deformed using methods known per se using a mapping function determined by the method according to the invention and/or using an assignment table for individual image areas or pixels. The mapping table can determine the displacement of certain representative points of the original image to the corresponding points of the transformed image. The intermediate points of the image can also be determined using a position determined by an interpolation method. The transformation is preferably designed in such a way that the distances between the points of the transformed images are in such a relationship to one another as they would be seen from a specific observation point.

The boundary shape of the virtual mapping plane and/or the boundary shapes of individual images mapped onto it can take place by means of the application of a so-called mask, e.g. by selecting a pixel area of the transformed image which is mapped onto the virtual plane. Alternatively or additionally, the form of delimitation can also be generated by selectively reading out the image areas from the entire area that can be recorded by the recording means. The shape of the boundary can be represented, for example, by a sudden or smooth transition between the map of the transformed image and the background and can additionally be reinforced by the display of a graphic frame for the virtual plane and/or for the individual transformed images mapped onto it.

Such a transformation of the images is particularly advantageous, in which the change in size of the images of the roadway sections when the vehicle moves corresponds approximately to the perceived change in size of these roadway sections, which is perceived by a person looking directly at these roadway sections from a similar perspective and movement. Thus, when the vehicle moves, e.g. when parking, the images of the textures of the road, e.g. cobblestones or objects lying on the road, behave towards the observer in the interior of the vehicle almost as if the driver were looking at them through the side areas of his vehicle see.

The method according to the invention offers an advantage over the known flat top view display, in particular when the vehicle is moving, in which the images of the side areas of the vehicle are rotated by 90° relative to the direction of travel.

The method according to the invention is particularly advantageous if the at least two images contain separate road sections without mutual overlaps.

Preferably, the at least two images each contain a section of road to the side of the vehicle and/or behind the vehicle and/or in front of the vehicle, with the sections of road being recorded using appropriate imaging devices and being reproduced in a single overall image in the display unit. As a result, the entire surrounding area around the vehicle can be displayed easily and intuitively in a spatial or quasi-spatial representation in the display unit.

Preferably, the image parameters of the images are controlled by different recording means, eg exposure control, histogram moperations, white balance, designed in such a way that at least one image parameter of an image from one recording medium depends on the scene parameters of another image from another recording medium.

In particular, the images from different recording means can be subjected to a histogram operation such that the integral focal points of their histograms, in particular luminance and/or RGB histograms, are essentially adapted to one another. Thus, for example, such a brightness-contrast and/or white-balance control is achieved that enables an essentially uniform perception of the color temperature of individual images in the entire display. In this way, in particular, conformity with regard to the human perception of these images can be achieved, which facilitates the interpretation of the images and also offers an aesthetic advantage.

The images from the different recording means are preferably synchronized with one another, in particular by the control and/or clocking from the image processing unit. In this way, a conformal mapping of the objects on the roadway, e.g. expanding from one image to the other, is achieved, especially when the vehicle is moving.

In a further, particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the representation generated is designed in such a way that the position of the parts of the vehicle environment relative to the vehicle or specific parts of the vehicle can be seen. By looking at the display unit, the driver can immediately see where the road sections shown are in the vicinity of his vehicle, without having to analytically assign the individual road sections, e.g. based on knowledge of the installation locations of individual recording devices on the vehicle and their orientation. The representation can be provided with a superimposed scale and/or markings, preferably equidistant markings, which are preferably perceived by the occupant of the vehicle as being located above the virtual roadway plane.

In a further, particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the generated representation contains a vehicle model, with the perspective in which the vehicle model is represented essentially corresponding to the perspective of the virtual road plane, with both perspectives preferably corresponding to the same virtual observation point, and the position of the Vehicle model to the virtual lane plane essentially corresponds to the actual position of the vehicle relative to the lane. The imaging factor of the roadway sections imaged on the roadway plane preferably corresponds to the imaging factor of at least the lower part of the vehicle in relation to the same length in the direction of travel of the vehicle. Thus, the occupant of the vehicle can always recognize the perspective in which the vehicle environment is represented by the method according to the invention based on the perspective of the vehicle model represented.

The vehicle model can be designed as a three-dimensional graphic that represents one's own vehicle, with the spatial alignment of the model being recognizable in particular from the position of the outer edges of the model and/or from the depiction of typical design elements of the vehicle. The perspective illustration of the vehicle model does not include a top view or a front view of the vehicle from the rear or from the front. The vehicle model can contain particularly emphasized edges, in particular outer edges, preferably those that enhance the three-dimensional effect of the graphic. The vehicle model can at least symbolically reproduce the special properties of the vehicle, such as color, model-specific features, etc.

According to the invention, the virtual roadway plane is supplemented with at least one further virtual plane, on which part of the vehicle environment is mapped and which is represented in particular as being perpendicular to the virtual roadway plane. The part of the surroundings of the vehicle that is shown was recorded using recording means on the vehicle and can contain any areas of the surroundings of the vehicle. The mapping of the part of the vehicle environment onto the at least one additional virtual plane is preferably carried out again by means of a geometric transformation, which is applied in such a way that the transformation of the part of the vehicle environment essentially corresponds to the perspective in which the at least one additional virtual plane is represented. Regions of the vehicle surroundings are preferably displayed on these further virtual planes, which are recorded essentially from a different perspective than the at least two images that are reproduced in the virtual lane plane. In particular, these can come from a recording device that is installed at a different location in the vehicle. A kind of virtual space is thus formed for the viewer, which depicts the surroundings of the vehicle using a number of perspectives, the type of depiction containing the information about the respective perspectives.

The image or images reproduced in the at least one further virtual plane preferably contain a front and/or rear and/or side perspectively recorded environment of the vehicle.

Preferably, the reference of the virtual planes, i. H. the at least one further virtual level and/or the virtual roadway level, to the locations of the vehicle where the recording means are located, graphically clarified. This can be done in particular by positioning the virtual planes within the representation, in particular relative to the vehicle model. Alternatively or additionally, this can be done, for example, by connecting lines that are also shown in the display and create a connection between the parts of the vehicle model and the virtual planes, in particular their corner points. Thus, even a new user can be particularly sure that he is interpreting the display correctly.

The method is preferably designed in such a way that the at least one further virtual plane and the virtual roadway plane are displayed in such a perspective relationship to one another and/or to the vehicle model that the perspective relationship essentially corresponds to the perspective relationship in the real vehicle environment, in particular in relation to a given observation point. The occupant of the vehicle can thus assign the views of certain areas of the vehicle environment, which are mapped on the virtual planes, to the real spatial conditions using the easily recognizable and interpretable perspective from which the vehicle model is represented.

In a further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the perspective in which the virtual roadway plane and/or the at least one further virtual plane are reproduced depends on current odometric data of the vehicle, e.g. speed, steering angle, etc. of the vehicle, and/or is recognized Driver's driving intention changed. The change can relate to the perspective of all virtual levels, with the connection between individual perspectives being essentially retained. The corresponding necessary adjustment of the perspectives of the virtual lane plane and possibly other virtual planes can be achieved by changing the shape, alignment of the corresponding planes and the associated change in the imaging function of the respective image to the corresponding plane.

The driver's intention to drive can also be recognized based on the evaluation of the vehicle data, e.g. the currently engaged gear or the position of the gear position (reverse gear, forward gear, parking position), and/or based on the automatic evaluation of his behavior. The evaluation of the driver's behavior can include, for example, the operator action last performed by the driver or special combinations of operator actions. Alternatively or additionally, the driver's driving intention can also be recognized from the course of his line of vision, e.g. by means of eye tracking.

In a further, particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the generated display is changed depending on the traffic situation, which is preferably recorded or detected by means in the vehicle, for example with the aid of a navigation system or by means of an automatic, e.g. sensor-based, situation evaluation. A predetermined event can be, for example, the occurrence of an obstacle in the area surrounding the vehicle, with the obstacle being detected using an imaging device, in particular by means of an environment sensor that detects the topography of the environment. Predetermined events may also include wireless reception of signals from road users or other objects.

It is conceivable, for example, to change the generated representation as a function of known and/or automatically determined sources of danger or other road users. The prior knowledge required for this about known sources of danger can come from an electronic road map, for example. It can also be obtained wirelessly from a service provider. The presence and possibly the exact position and/or other data of other road users can be made known to the vehicle, for example, by means of vehicle-to-vehicle communication and/or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

An object in the vicinity of a vehicle can also be recognized because it has an RFID chip or a similar detectable feature. Such an RFID-based recognized object can, for example, be drawn into a camera image or into an image generated artificially on the basis of an ultrasound-based detection of the environment.

If another road user, in particular another vehicle and/or a pedestrian, is equipped with an RFID chip or other wireless means of communication, this road user can also use a Recognition of this chip can be detected and localized by the motor vehicle.

The virtual line of sight can thus be changed automatically, e.g. towards the relevant object. The representation can thus be adjusted automatically, for example depending on a hazard potential, in particular a collision hazard potential, which is attributed to an object, e.g. a road user in the current driving situation, such that the generated representation includes this object, e.g. the road user, and/or from a certain perspective. For example, the perspective can be selected in such a way that the visibility of the object and/or the driver's ability to orient himself is improved.

In addition to other road users, other objects and states of the vehicle environment can also be automatically detected based on the detection of the information from RFID chips and cause an automatic change in the display according to the invention. For example, the RFID-based detection and, if necessary, localization of traffic signs, intersections, junctions, junctions, traffic lights and parking spaces is conceivable. Depending on such objects and their arrangement in relation to the motor vehicle, the virtual viewing angle of the display can be adapted to the situation, so that the perspective relationships between the individual vehicle surrounding areas that are displayed are retained.

The RFID detection can also affect objects that do not directly affect driving, but serve commercial purposes and/or belong to the general infrastructure, e.g. mailboxes, free parking spaces, parking ticket machines, restaurants, vending machines, etc. The generated display can also be adapted in this way depending on the situation be that such objects are displayed to the driver from a e.g. perspective. An object, for example a free parking space, can thus be presented to the driver in the vehicle environment, in particular in a perspectively represented spatial relationship with the model of his vehicle.

In addition to the adaptation of the generated representation influenced by RFID chips, at least one piece of information read from the respective RFID chip relating to the object equipped with the RFID chip or its current status can also be displayed by the display unit provided according to the invention. Instead of the information being displayed by the display unit, it is of course also possible for the information to be displayed by another information exchange unit. As mentioned above, the generated display can be adapted such that the driver is shown a free parking space in the displayed environmental section. In addition, superimposed on the image of the surrounding area or elsewhere in the vehicle interior, additional information can be read from the RFID chip and the driver can be shown what parking fees would be incurred for using the parking space.

In one embodiment of the invention, the generated representation is changed in such a way that the virtual viewing angle generated by the representation onto the virtual road plane and/or onto the at least one further virtual plane is changed, but the perspective relationships of the images contained in the representation remain unchanged. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the generated representation is changed in such a way that the perspective representation of the vehicle environment is rotated and/or tilted, in particular about an axis that is vertical to the virtual roadway plane. As a result, a view of the surroundings of the vehicle can be displayed in a particularly simple manner, which corresponds to a movement, in particular a movement around the vehicle, which is simulated, for example, from a height that corresponds to the height of a human being.

In a further, particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the generated representation is also designed in such a way that a binocularly perceptible depth effect is generated in the representation of the virtual planes. In particular, each part of the roadway plane and/or the additional virtual planes, if applicable, is assigned the perceptible depth that corresponds to criteria defined on the basis of the perspective orientation upwards. The display of a representation determined in this way can be implemented, for example, using a 3D-capable display. In particular, the areas surrounding the vehicle, which are only recorded in two dimensions, are displayed on the virtual planes, which are reproduced in a spatial position corresponding to a perspective to be displayed according to the invention, in particular relative to another virtual plane. This results in the advantage of a three-dimensional and therefore easily understandable and aesthetically advantageous representation, without the recording means necessarily being able to record three-dimensional, e.g. stereoscopic images.

As an alternative or in addition to this, the spatial effect of individual virtual areas and/or the vehicle model can also be represented by adaptive control of the image sharpness depending on the image area within the at least one virtual plane. The parts of the virtual According to the invention, planes that are to be perceived significantly closer or deeper than a specific image depth are imaged less sharply than image parts that correspond to this specific image depth. The human visual system has the property of using these image sharpness differences for the spatial interpretation of the scene. According to the invention, the perspective alignment of the corresponding images is emphasized by the adaptive control of the image sharpness of individual areas of the image planes. The control of the image sharpness of individual image areas can be achieved, for example, by using known digital sharpness or soft focus filters or by utilizing the optical effects of a recording device.

In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the virtual roadway plane is deformed as a function of the spatial form of the roadway sections mapped onto it and/or the objects located thereon. In this way, sources of danger can be highlighted in a particularly simple manner that is easy for the driver to understand. The deformation of the roadway planes can be visualized or emphasized, for example, by the deformation of a grid structure superimposed on these planes and/or by a further geometric transformation on the virtual roadway plane, including the image displayed on it.

In a further embodiment, the generated representation is optionally supplemented by one or more warnings, which indicate a possible collision site of one or more parts of the vehicle, in particular doors and/or flaps of the vehicle, with one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle include. The warning notices can be designed, for example, as a graphic, particularly three-dimensional symbol. A warning can be integrated into the display in such a way that the spatial relationship between the object from which the danger emanates and the potentially endangered area of the vehicle is visualized. For example, a warning can be displayed at a point between an obstacle and the potentially endangered area of the vehicle, e.g.

In a further, particularly preferred embodiment, the generated representation contains one or more trajectories and/or symbols that correspond to the future positions of at least one vehicle part, the trajectories being based in particular on a precalculated or intended direction of movement of the vehicle. This representation may include the representation of a future position of a vehicle part, e.g., the representation of the position of a body area at a point in time in the near future. For example, the calculated future position of a bumper of the vehicle can be displayed at at least one point in time, e.g. after one, two and three seconds. These positions can, for example, be precalculated in a particularly simple manner, provided that the driver maintains his driving style. The positions of the vehicle or vehicle parts can be displayed in a manner analogous to the display of different areas of the vehicle environment.

When the intended movement of the vehicle is displayed, the consequences of the execution of an automatic or semi-automatic method for movement, in particular for parking a vehicle, can be visualized.

In addition to the above-described method for informing the occupants of a vehicle, the invention also includes a corresponding information system with an image processing unit which processes at least two images that are generated by the vehicle's recording means and contain different roadway sections of the roadway plane in the vicinity of the vehicle in such a way that the at least two images are reproduced on a display unit in the vehicle interior. The information system is characterized in that the image processing unit generates a display during operation in which the at least two images are mapped onto a virtual roadway plane, with the virtual roadway plane being reproduced in perspective.

The information system can be implemented in such a way that each of the preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention described above can be carried out with this system. The invention also relates to a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, which contains the information system just described. The image processing unit can be combined with the recording means or with the display unit as one device.

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the attached drawings. This results in further details, preferred embodiments and developments of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention and its equivalents. In particular, the system according to the invention and the corresponding method due to the legal or country-specific requirements are designed differently.

Unless stated otherwise and/or technically excluded, the exemplary embodiments, embodiments and developments described can be used and are advantageous both individually and in any combination with one another.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung der Seitenansicht eines Kraftfahrzeugs mit einer Anordnung von Nahfeldkameras und deren Sichtfelder;
• 2 eine Draufsicht auf das Kraftfahrzeug der 1 mit entsprechend dargestellten Sichtfeldern der Nahfeldkameras;
• 3 und 4 jeweils eine Anzeigefläche einer Anzeigeeinheit im Innenraum eines Kraftfahrzeugs, welche bekannte Darstellungsarten des Umfelds des Kraftfahrzeugs zeigen;
• 5 bis 8 jeweils eine Anzeigefläche einer Anzeigeeinheit im Innenraum eines Kraftfahrzeugs, welche Darstellungsarten des Umfelds des Kraftfahrzeugs gemäß Ausführungsformen des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens wiedergeben;
• 9 eine schematische Darstellung einer bevorzugten Ausgestaltung einer Bildtransformation zur Realisierung des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens;
• 10 eine Anzeigefläche einer Anzeigeeinheit im Innenraum eines Kraftfahrzeugs, wobei die Veränderung der Darstellung des Umfelds des Kraftfahrzeugs gemäß einer Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens angedeutet ist.

Show in detail:

• 1 a schematic representation of the side view of a motor vehicle with an arrangement of near-field cameras and their fields of view;
• 2 a plan view of the motor vehicle 1 with correspondingly displayed fields of view of the near-field cameras;
• 3 and 4 in each case a display area of a display unit in the interior of a motor vehicle, which shows known types of representation of the surroundings of the motor vehicle;
• 5 until 8th in each case a display area of a display unit in the interior of a motor vehicle, which display types of representation of the surroundings of the motor vehicle according to embodiments of the method according to the invention;
• 9 a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of an image transformation for implementing the method according to the invention;
• 10 a display surface of a display unit in the interior of a motor vehicle, the change in the display of the surroundings of the motor vehicle being indicated according to an embodiment of the method according to the invention.

1 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 with a plurality of near-field cameras 2, 3 and 4. The near-field camera 2 represents a reversing camera whose viewing angle is denoted by γ. This camera monitors the rear area of the motor vehicle, and a corresponding image of the rear area of the roadway can be displayed on a display unit (not shown) in the form of a display in the vehicle cockpit. As a result, the driver of the vehicle can monitor the distance to objects behind him when manoeuvring, for example when parking, and avoid a collision.

Furthermore, the so-called top-view cameras 3 integrated into the rear-view mirrors are provided, with 1 only one of the cameras on the left side of the vehicle is shown. The angle of the field of view of this camera is denoted by α. The camera is used to capture the area of the road on the long side of the vehicle 1. Analogous to the reversing camera 2, the area of the road recorded by the camera 3 can be reproduced on the display unit in the interior of the motor vehicle. Two further cameras 4 are provided in the front area of the motor vehicle on the left and right side. These are so-called side view cameras, which monitor the front left and right road area and whose image can also be displayed on the display unit in the vehicle interior. In 1 again only the camera provided on the left side of the vehicle 1 is shown. The angle of the field of view of this camera is denoted by β. The side-view cameras are used in particular to capture areas of the vehicle environment that cannot be seen directly by the driver due to a specific traffic situation, for example capturing objects to the side of the front of the vehicle, for example when leaving a garage.

2 shows a plan view of the vehicle 1 of FIG 1 , from which the extension of the fields of view of the cameras in the road plane becomes evident. The field of view of the rear camera 2 is denoted by 102, the field of view of the two side cameras 3 by 103 and 103' and the field of view of the front cameras 4 by 104 and 104'. A large area around the vehicle is captured by the individual cameras. The top-view cameras 3 are wide-angle cameras with coverage angles downwards and in some cases at an angle backwards. The field of vision covers the left or right side of the lane next to the vehicle. For display on the display unit in the vehicle interior, the image from these cameras is deformed using a geometric transformation in such a way that a virtual view of the corresponding areas of the road is created from an angle forward. This virtual view is supplemented with symbolic placeholders, in particular with a graphic motor vehicle model from the same perspective from which the virtual road plane is generated, for better orientation and is displayed on the display unit. Furthermore, the virtual road plane can be supplemented by the images of the top-view cameras 4 with the image of the reversing camera 3 that has been transformed into the corresponding perspective.

In the method known from the prior art ( 3 ) shows such a representation on a display unit 5, the images of the top view cameras and the reversing camera, the display surface of the display unit running transverse to the direction of travel, ie the longitudinal edges of the display unit are essentially transverse to the direction of travel. The symbolically represented vehicle outline is in 3 denoted by the reference numeral 1'. The two lateral areas captured by the top-view cameras are identified by reference numerals 103 and 103 ′, and the area captured by the reversing camera is identified by reference numeral 102 . The reference symbols used correspond to the corresponding fields of view 2 match. As explained above, the individual image areas are correspondingly transformed images, as a result of which a virtual plan view from above is generated. In the representation of 3 the images from the two side-view cameras 4 are not included. These images are usually displayed in a different display mode on the display surface of the display unit, with such a display mode in 4 is reproduced. In accordance with the corresponding fields of view 2 are the captured image areas of the side view cameras in 4 denoted by reference numerals 104 and 104', respectively.

A fundamental, well-known problem in vehicles with a large number of built-in cameras is that an inexperienced user in particular can relate the corresponding images to the real environment only with considerable effort and often incorrectly. Even assigning the directions is difficult. For example, it is also difficult for the user to predict in which direction and how fast the objects in the camera images will move when he performs a certain driving action. On the other hand, if the camera images can be switched and/or shown one after the other on the display, the driver is also overwhelmed. He does not anticipate the appearance of an obstacle, which is currently not shown. In particular, the known representation on the display unit 5 according to 3 has the disadvantage that an image extending transversely to the direction of travel is generated due to the rotated representation of the vehicle or the areas captured by the cameras. In particular, the driver has to constantly carry out a mental “coordinate conversion” in order to assign the transverse direction of travel in the display unit to the actual direction of travel.

In order to solve the above problem, it is conceivable that the correspondingly displayed image of the vehicle in 3 rotated 90° to a vertical position. This achieves an easier assignment of the area around the vehicle captured by the cameras to the direction of travel, since the direction of travel shown corresponds to the actual direction of travel. Due to the elongated shape of the screen, which currently has almost cinema format, such a vertical display is very small. In order to enlarge the representation, the vehicle could possibly be compressed in height, but such a representation appears unnatural.

A further disadvantage of the prior art is that a driver has to choose between different types of representation, in particular between the representation of the vehicle in plan view according to FIG 3 and according to the perspective representation based on the side-view cameras 4 , has to switch back and forth. The result of switching between several types of display is that the driver often has to think about new perspectives or physical installation positions of the cameras, which often irritates him. The driver may not always be aware of the perspective from which a specific image shown on the display unit originates and which spatial angles may not be covered by the cameras. There is therefore a need to create a type of representation in the display unit of the motor vehicle in which the number of representations is limited in favor of their universality and clarity.

The functional principle according to the invention is explained in detail below with reference to several embodiments. The functional principle can be applied to any system that records the vehicle environment for the driver. This means that the invention is not limited to the camera images described above, but can be applied to images from any imaging device, with the term “imaging device” already being defined in detail above. In particular, the images from imaging devices include both camera images (including images captured by infrared cameras) and synthetic images (possibly also with an environment represented symbolically), for example by scanning the environment using appropriate sensor devices such as radar and/or lidar devices and the like, are generated. The synthetic image or part of the image can also be generated from data from ultrasonic sensors. In an advantageous embodiment, the method according to the invention described below is applied to existing cameras and/or surroundings-sensing devices. The generation of the images, e.g. from sensor data of the recording means, can preferably be implemented in the hardware of the recording means, but also entirely or partially in the image processing unit.

According to the embodiments of the invention described below, the object is achieved of generating a coherent representation of multiple perspectives for at least one vehicle occupant (driver, passenger), the representation being self-explanatory with regard to the perspective represented tive, in particular with regard to the assignment of objects shown in the image areas to the real parts of the vehicle environment or relative to at least one occupant. Furthermore, there is no need to implement an unreasonably large number of switching options and the corresponding complex MMI.

The embodiments described below are characterized in that a representation of the perspective-transformed images, each of which shows part of the area surrounding the vehicle, is displayed on a virtual roadway plane arranged in perspective relative to the screen surface, with the virtual roadway plane being viewed from diagonally above and is shown facing towards the front of the vehicle. The virtual lane plane is designed as a mask that forms the shape or the boundaries of the respective parts of the image.

5 shows a display unit 5 with such a representation according to the invention, wherein in 5 two transformed images 203 and 203' of roadway sections captured by top-view cameras are reproduced. From the originally two-dimensional images of the roadway sections, an intuitively understandable “quasi three-dimensional representation” of the roadway sections is thereby achieved, which can be shown on the conventional display.

In the 5 The type of representation shown is supplemented with an image from a reversing camera converted into the same perspective. Such a representation is in 6 shown. In addition to the transformed image areas 203 and 203', which depict the side areas of the vehicle, a rear area 202 is also shown. A number of images from individual imaging devices are therefore preferably used to reconstruct the plane of the roadway. The invention offers the practical advantage that the images can be displayed without being reduced or compressed on a display unit that is extended transversely to the direction of travel, as is shown in 5 and 6 shown can be arranged. With the corresponding geometric transformation into a perspective virtual road plane, the individual images fit well into the display area and are perceived naturally on the two-dimensional screen due to the perspective shown. The generated virtual lane level can optionally also be curved or be represented as curved.

An embodiment of the method according to the invention can be applied to the image of a recording device that captures the area of the roadway underneath the vehicle. Such a recording means can be designed, for example, as a sensor for detecting the ground relief, for example a camera based on what is known as time-of-light technology. The image of this recording means, which can be edited as a synthetic image, is mapped onto the virtual road plane described above.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the display is such that the environment model reproduced in the virtual road plane is supplemented with a graphical vehicle model such that the vehicle model is displayed from the same perspective as the road plane. This helps the user to clearly understand the perspective presented in the virtual lane plane. At the same time, the graphical vehicle model helps the user to grasp a relative perspective and relative position of the obstacles relative to the parts of the vehicle. This gives the driver a spatial idea of the roadway, objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, etc. in relation to his vehicle or to himself. The driver can thus easily determine the position of a specific object, for example an obstacle, a parking lot boundary and other lane lines, relative to his vehicle and its parts, such as rims, doors and the like. 7 shows an embodiment of a representation with such a vehicle model. The vehicle model is denoted by the reference number 6 and represents a perspective view of the vehicle from the rear. The driver recognizes from the figure according to 7 very quickly in which relation his vehicle is in relation to the displayed images 202, 203 and 203' of the environment. According to the presentation of 7 the driver receives information about the orientation and the size of the objects reproduced in the individual images 202, 203 and 203'. The frame of the display unit 7 seen by the vehicle occupant also serves as a reference for the perception of the generated depth effect.

The vehicle model is designed as a three-dimensional graphic. The spatial perception is additionally enhanced by the three-dimensional representation of the vehicle or the vehicle model 6 . That in the embodiment of 7 Vehicle model 6 shown is preferably stored in the image processing unit as a bitmap (or multiple bitmaps from different perspectives). Thus, this bitmap does not have to be recalculated for each perspective to be displayed. Alternatively, the vehicle model can also be generated or represented by a vector graphic and/or a simulation, which preferably changes as a function of the perspective currently to be represented.

According to the invention, the virtual lane level is supplemented with at least one additional virtual level. In particular, at least one level is added which is essentially perpendicular to the virtual roadway level. A virtual space is thus formed, which represents the surroundings of the vehicle, preferably in combination with the vehicle model. The at least one further level is preferably a level that represents a perspectively captured image area in the vehicle environment. For example, come with the side-view cameras 4 1 captured image areas into consideration. These image areas are arranged in lateral planes in such a perspective or spatial relation to the virtual lane planes or the three-dimensional vehicle model that they essentially correspond to the directions from which the images of the lateral planes were recorded by the imaging devices relative to the vehicle . This embodiment has the advantage that the driver understands at what angle to him and his vehicle the objects shown in the image are to be found or avoided. This intensifies the spatial effect. 8th shows a corresponding representation in which, in addition to the areas 202, 203 and 203' of the virtual road plane and the vehicle model 6, two lateral planes are also arranged to the left and right of the vehicle. These planes are perpendicular to the virtual lane plane and the images 204 and 204' shown therein are correspondingly transformed images, which are taken by side-view cameras, as shown in 1 are shown have been included.

In the depiction in the 8th As illustrated, the normals of the lateral planes 204 and 204' are each at such angles to the vehicle model that they approximately correspond to the real spatial angles between the respective orientation of the imaging devices and the real vehicle. In this way, the respective orientation and the detection direction of the cameras in relation to the vehicle is explained to the driver by the display.

The following is based on 9 a preferred embodiment of an image transformation for realizing the method according to the invention is explained. 9 shows the transformation of an originally pincushion-shaped image 103 of a top view camera into the transformed image 203. The pincushion-shaped structure of the image area 103 can be seen, with the corners of the pincushion being denoted by A, B, C and D. The pillow-like shape is created by using a wide-angle camera that provides an optically distorted image of the captured rectangular lane area. In a first step S1, which is known from the prior art, the original image 103 can be rectified by a corresponding transformation, as a result of which the original rectangular shape of the image area is created again. This image shape is denoted by reference numeral 303 and includes square corners A', B', C' and D'. According to the invention, the image area 303 can now be converted into a correspondingly deformed image area 203 according to a step S2 by a further geometric transformation, with a perspective being generated by the shape of the image area 203, which is configured using a mask. The image area 203 resembles a trapezoid and includes corresponding corners A'', B'', C'' and D''. It can be seen that in the transformed image 203 the height of the image is significantly reduced. Therefore, the picture also fits the in 5 and 6 shown landscape format display surface of the display unit 7 and there is a spatial impression. Since the transformation according to step S1 and according to step S2 are unambiguous, the image rectification according to step S2 can be skipped according to the invention, ie the image 203 can also be generated directly from the image 103 with the aid of a transformation. This preferred variant has the advantage that the implementation of the invention does not lead to a significant increase in the required computing power of the image processing unit.

The advantage of the representation of the invention with the aid of the basis of 9 The transformation explained is that this representation - although it looks quasi-spatial and highly professional - can be generated in a simple manner like the previously known images for equalizing the original camera images with a one-to-one transformation function, in which the pixels and subpixels of the input images correspond to the output image to be generated be assigned. Neither a 3D graphics processor nor a further increase in the computing power of the image processing unit, which is used to generate the images on the display unit, is required. It is preferably possible for an increase in the depth effect to also be set or changed by the driver and/or as a function of the predetermined events.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the generated representation is rotated as a function of predetermined events, such as operator actions by the driver, giving the driver a virtual view of the surroundings from a different, in particular laterally shifted, angle. In this way, for example, a virtual flight can be simulated from above, which is based on the type of representation according to the invention by changing the shape of the virtual roadway plane and the transformation parameter and/or can be easily implemented by switching the cameras. A virtual rotation of the entire space spanned by the image areas is generated, as a result of which the virtual angle of view of the entire scene changes as a function of vehicle-specific criteria and/or according to the driver's wishes. In this case, in particular, such a transformation of the images is used in which the virtual viewing angle changes without the perspective changing in relation to the individual planes that are representative of the vehicle environment. The rotation of the virtual environment around a vertical axis of the vehicle model is particularly advantageous. Thus, the driver can view a specific part of the environment in detail and move virtually around his vehicle. 10 shows a representation analogous to 8th , where in 10 in addition, a suitable vertical axis A with a corresponding direction of rotation R is indicated, about which the virtually represented environment can rotate in a preferred embodiment.

In particular, the above principle of changing the orientation of the virtual space can be used to show a lateral view of the vehicle if required, for example the view to the left of the vehicle recorded with a top-view camera together with the view from a side-view The right area in front of the vehicle recorded by the camera and, if necessary, the right area behind the vehicle recorded with another side-view camera. Likewise, views of the vehicle from the front can be generated together with the views from two rear side-view cameras.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the method, the perspective and/or the image size of the display according to the invention can be changed by an operator action and/or as a function of a predetermined event. A particularly advantageous zooming in of a view, in particular of a virtual plane selected by the user and/or affected by the event, can thus be implemented. Zooming in on a virtual plane or a region of this plane can be associated with a change in perspective. For example, a virtual plane that has previously been strongly transformed in terms of perspective is displayed with a changed, in particular lesser or no perspective transformation. After a predetermined condition no longer exists, the view can automatically return to the previous state or to the original state.

The use of the method according to the invention to support the driver during parking and maneuvering is particularly advantageous. The method offers the driver a clear display, even in the case of partially or fully automatically executed driving manoeuvres. The method or the system based on it can be activated automatically depending on the predetermined criteria, e.g. engaging reverse gear, reducing the speed to a certain level, activating another assistance system of the vehicle.

The orientation of the virtual space can be operated, for example, by means of a rotary control or another operating element in the vehicle. The three-dimensional vehicle model offers the occupants of the vehicle orientation with regard to the displayed viewing angle of the vehicle environment.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the orientation of the virtual space can also be changed as a function of automatically detected and interpreted traffic situations. The traffic situation can be interpreted, for example, by a navigation system. In particular, the interpretation of the traffic situation can depend on the presence of a side street, an exit and/or whether it is a question of maneuvering in a city parking garage or in a field in the country. A change in the orientation of the virtual space is particularly preferably provided in such a way that it is adapted to the presence of obstacles and/or a risk of collision emanating from them. For example, the orientation of the virtual space can be changed as a function of sensing the vehicle's surroundings, for example based on ultrasonic sensors. When there is a risk of a collision, the space around the vehicle is aligned in such a way that the driver can clearly see the critical points.

In a further advantageous refinement of the invention, the change in the alignment of the virtual space in the area surrounding the vehicle can be configured as a function of vehicle-to-vehicle and/or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. The presence of another road user and their position relative to the vehicle can be transmitted wirelessly, for example using the signal from an RFID chip, and the virtual space can be rotated accordingly so that certain perspectives or objects contained therein or their position can be better perceived. Better perceptibility can be achieved by such a change in perspective that the object, for example in relation to the current direction of travel or certain parts of the vehicle. It is also possible for the driver to attach an RFID chip to a specific location, for example in his garage. The reading of the RFID chip by a vehicle device signals to the vehicle that the virtual space is to be aligned in a specific, optimized direction, eg optimized for the entrance to its garage, its garden and the like. The driver of a vehicle can thus acquire appropriate RFID chips and place them on his property, for example, so that his vehicle shows him the desired, for example ahead, perspective when driving through every part of his parking area or garage.

In addition, an RFID chip can be placed in children's clothing, a stroller or a children's bicycle. What is thus achieved according to the invention is that, in particular when a child is in the vicinity of the vehicle, the representation of the surroundings of the vehicle is changed in favor of the child's visibility.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a means known from photography can be used to emphasize the depth effect. In photography, the depth effect can be achieved, among other things, through a targeted choice of the lens aperture, namely in such a way that the objects before and after a certain distance from the lens are blurred. In the method according to the invention, the same effect can be generated artificially from the desired depth effect and the respective virtual distance of certain surfaces or surface parts. The sharpness of the image shown in certain areas of the image area and/or the vehicle model is adjusted depending on the perspective shown and/or depending on the virtual distances of the areas from the viewer. If necessary, the depth effect can be intensified by additional filtering, in particular with digital sharpness filters. Further, as the virtual space is rotated, the focus of the image is shifted accordingly, and their respective depths in the virtual space are emphasized depending on the position of the virtual space.

As already mentioned above, the images generated in the method according to the invention can be generated by any imaging devices. It does not always have to be camera images, but images that are artificially generated or modeled from sensor data can also be used, for example from the data of an environment sensor from a parking and maneuvering assistance system.

The method can be carried out in combination with a method for automatic or semi-automatic parking and maneuvering. This offers a vehicle occupant, in particular the driver, a better overview of the relevant parts of the vehicle environment, e.g. while an automatic or semi-automatic maneuver, in particular a parking process, is being carried out.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the displayed image can be composed by means of a synthesis from the image of a camera and a device for sensing the surroundings. In particular, a device is used as a device for sensing the surroundings, which records the topography of the surroundings (height or distance of each point or area section). The synthesis of the camera image and the image of the device for sensing the surroundings makes it possible, in particular, to correctly detect the roadway profile and/or the height of the objects on the roadway and to display them by warping corresponding image areas. As a result, the virtual lane level is deformed as a virtual image area in the display unit in accordance with the spatial shape of the lane and the objects located on it. For example, a height difference in the roadway, as can be observed in the case of a curb, can be displayed in the corresponding areas of the virtual image that is displayed. The curb edge is detected with the device for sensing the surroundings and the virtual road surface is deformed at the corresponding point. Alternatively, the curb can be displayed above the virtual lane level by means of a symbolic graphic, in particular a partially transparent graphic.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, when obstacles are detected which can cause damage when a door is opened, a graphic indication is also superimposed in the display according to the invention. If, for example, there is a large stone on the roadway in front of the vehicle door, an explicit indication can appear in the spatial representation according to the invention that a specific door should not be opened at the moment or should only be opened to a certain degree. In this way, the driver is suitably warned before the doors or hatches of the vehicle are opened if there is a risk of damage. The perspective representation of the virtual lane level makes it easy and intuitive to see which objects can interfere with opening the door, for example, and how far or which door may be opened. An easily understandable display of the critical points with a risk of damage and the available options for avoiding this damage is thus created.

Areas with a risk of damage can be displayed, for example, as a door of the virtual vehicle that is marked in the representation according to the invention, or as a door that is only open to a maximum permissible degree. Alternatively, the representation of the limit for opening the door can be reproduced, for example, by a virtual post. In a further embodiment, a risk of damage when the tailgate is opened upwards can also be indicated in order to avoid the tailgate hitting the rear wall or the garage ceiling.

In a further embodiment of the method according to the invention, the distances to the dangerous obstacles can also be marked explicitly in the image as a demarcation of trafficable and non-drivable areas of the roadway. In particular, the curbs can be recognized automatically and additionally marked as such. This allows the distance to the rims to be monitored when parking.

In an advantageous embodiment, the predicted and/or recommended trajectories of the vehicle or the predicted trajectories of other road users can be calculated and displayed in the display. For example, a trailer maneuver can be detected by a rear view camera and the trajectory of the movement of the trailer hitch in relation to the trailer can be displayed in three-dimensional form. The simulation of a trailer maneuver as a flat two-dimensional model is already known from the patent application DE 10 2004 008 928.0 known, in which application the air suspension of the vehicle can be manipulated for automatic coupling of the trailer. The method described in this patent application, in which the movement of the trailer hitch to the trailer is preferably shown in plan view, can be combined with the representation according to the invention in such a way that the trajectories of the movement of the trailer hitch to the trailer are quasi-spatially in a corresponding perspective relation to at least one virtual lane level are shown.

The embodiments of the method according to the invention described above have a number of advantages. Due to the quasi-spatial representation of the vehicle environment, a display of this environment that largely fills the screen can be achieved in wide-format display units. The driver immediately understands from which directions the respective objects detected by imaging devices originate. He is good at estimating obstacles to parts of the vehicle, as well as their direction and size. Furthermore, as the vehicle moves, the objects on the display unit move relative to one another in the same direction as when looking directly through the vehicle's windows or windscreen. The procedure requires no or only a few self-explanatory switching options.

The method according to the invention can also be used analogously to display the surroundings of the vehicle for the passengers of a vehicle, in particular a limousine, a bus or an airplane. The display according to the invention, e.g. on the infotainment display of the vehicle, can be activated automatically in particular when the vehicle has reached the parking position and the passengers are allowed to get out. The display can be provided with additional symbols that show, for example, an exit direction or a destination for the passengers when leaving the vehicle.

A modeled environment, for example in the form of a roadway with a height profile, can also be mapped onto the virtual roadway level or an additional virtual level. This is made possible in particular by synthesizing camera images with sensor data. There is also the possibility of identifying corresponding trajectories, which would lead to possible collisions, for example, and integrating them into the display according to the invention.

Claims (15)

Method for informing an occupant of a vehicle (1), in particular a motor vehicle, in which at least two images (102, 103, 103') are generated by recording means (2, 3, 4) of the vehicle (1), which show different roadway sections of the roadway plane contained in the surroundings of the vehicle (1), and in which the at least two images (102, 103, 103') are processed by means of an image processing unit and displayed on a display unit (5) in the vehicle interior, and in which a representation is generated, in which the at least two images (102, 103, 103') are mapped onto a virtual roadway plane, the virtual roadway plane being reproduced in perspective, characterized in that the generated representation contains at least one further virtual plane deviating from the virtual roadway plane, wherein on the at least one additional virtual level is mapped to part of the vehicle environment, with the at least one further virtual plane is shown as being substantially perpendicular to the virtual lane plane. procedure after claim 1 , characterized in that the at least two images (102, 103, 103') are mapped onto the virtual road plane by means of a geometric transformation which is applied in such a way that the transformation of the at least two images (102, 103, 103') is essentially corresponds to the perspective in which the virtual road plane is displayed. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the generated representation contains a vehicle model (6), the perspective in which the vehicle model (6) is represented essentially corresponds to the perspective of the virtual road plane, both perspectives preferably being the same virtual Observation point correspond, and the position of the vehicle model (6) to the virtual road plane essentially corresponds to the actual position of the vehicle (1) relative to the road. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mapping of the part of the vehicle environment on the at least one further virtual plane takes place by means of a geometric transformation, which is applied in such a way that the transformation of the part of the vehicle environment essentially corresponds to the perspective in which which is shown at least one additional virtual level. procedure after claim 4 , characterized in that the at least one further virtual plane and the virtual roadway plane are shown in a perspective relationship to one another, which essentially corresponds to the perspective relationship in the real vehicle environment, in particular based on a predetermined observation point. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the perspective in which the virtual roadway plane and the at least one further virtual plane are reproduced depends on current odometric data of the vehicle (1) and/or on an automatically recognized driving intention of the driver of the Vehicle (1) is changed. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the generated representation is designed in such a way that the actual position of the vehicle (1) in relation to the roadway sections which are represented by the at least two images (202, 203, 203') are displayed. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the generated representation, in particular the perspective of the virtual lane level and the at least one further virtual level, is changed as a function of predetermined events. procedure after claim 8 , characterized in that the generated representation is changed in such a way that the virtual viewing angle generated by the representation onto the virtual road plane and/or onto the at least one further virtual plane is changed without the perspective relationship between the planes contained in the representation and/or of the images (202, 203, 203', 204, 204') mapped onto them. procedure after claim 9 , characterized in that the virtual roadway plane is rotated and/or tilted in such a way that the perspective relationship in the generated representation, in particular between the virtual roadway plane and the at least one further virtual plane and the vehicle model (6), is essentially retained. procedure after claim 10 , characterized in that the virtual lane level is rotated about an axis (A) vertical to the virtual lane level. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the generated representation is designed in such a way that a depth effect felt by the observer is generated in the representation and/or changed depending on the situation. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the virtual lane level is deformed as a function of the automatically detected spatial shape of the lane sections and/or objects located thereon. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the generated representation is supplemented by one or more warnings which identify a possible collision site of one or more parts of the vehicle (1) with one or more objects in the vicinity of the vehicle (1 ) include. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the generated representation contains one or more trajectories shown in the perspective of the virtual road plane, which show the future direction of movement of the vehicle (1) and/or one or more objects in the environment of the vehicle (1).

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