Patents Assigned to CONNAUGHT ELECTRONICS LTD.
  • Publication number: 20210173286
    Abstract: The invention relates to a camera (4) for a motor vehicle (1), with an outer housing (9) and with a heat dissipating device (18) for dissipating heat from the camera (4), wherein the heat dissipating device (18) comprises a duct (19) for conveying a liquid or gaseous heat absorption medium, wherein the duct (19) is arranged at the outer housing (9). The invention also relates to a device (32) and a motor vehicle (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Joseph Estremera
  • Patent number: 11004231
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a real position (X, Y, Z) of a trailer tow ball (6) of a tow hitch (4) of a motor vehicle (1) by means of an assistance system (9) of the motor vehicle (1) by: capturing the trailer tow ball (6) and determining a characterizing property (11) of the trailer tow ball (6), determining a relative position (x, y) of the characterizing property (11), determining a first real space coordinate (X) and a second real space coordinate (Y), presetting a third real space coordinate (Z) for the third real space coordinate (Z) within a predetermined coordinate interval, generating a comparative position of the trailer tow ball (6) at least depending on the preset third real space coordinate (Z) by means of the electronic computing device (12), determining the real position (X, Y, Z) with the preset third real space coordinate (Z) upon coincidence of the relative position (x, y) with the comparative position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Swaroop Kaggere Shivamurthy
  • Patent number: 10950127
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a driver assistance system (2) of a motor vehicle (1), including a) Capturing an environment (4) of the motor vehicle (1) by a capturing device (3) of the driver assistance system (2); b) Detecting an accessible freespace (6) in the captured environment (4) by a computing device (5) of the driver assistance system (2); c) Detecting and Classifying at least one object (7a-7e) in the captured environment (4) that is located at a border (8) of the freespace (6) by a neural network (9) of the driver assistance system (2); d) Assigning a part (10a-10e) of the border (8) of the freespace (6) to the detected and classified object (7a-7e); and e) Categorizing a part (11a-11e) of the freespace (6) adjacent to the part (10a-10e) of the border (8) that is assigned to the detected and classified object (7a-7e) in dependence upon the class of that classified object (7a-7e), so as to enable improved safety in driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Senthil Kumar Yogamani, Sunil Chandra
  • Patent number: 10902271
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for recognizing a raised object on the basis of images in an environmental region of a motor vehicle, comprising: capturing a first image from a first camera and a second image from a second camera, transforming the first and second images into a common reference system, forming gradients over pixel values of pixels along gradient lines in the transformed first and second images, summing gradients along parallel summation lines to form a gradient sum, determining a first pair of the maxima of the gradient sum in the transformed first image and a second pair of the maxima of the gradient sum in the transformed second image, recognizing the raised object, if at least one distance between the maxima of the first pair in the transformed first image deviates from a distance of the maxima of the corresponding second pair in the transformed second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignees: Connaught Electronics Ltd., Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Pantelis Ermilios, Jonathan Horgan, Ciaran Hughes, Guenter Bauer
  • Publication number: 20200396394
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating an output image with a predefined target view showing a motor vehicle (1) and an environmental region (4) of the motor vehicle (1) based on at least partially overlapping raw images (RC1, RC2, RC3, RC4) captured by at least two vehicle-side cameras (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d), comprising the steps of: specifying respective camera-specific pixel density maps (PDM1a, PDM1b, PDM2a, PDM2b), which each describe an image-region dependent distribution of a number of pixels of the raw image (R1 to R4) captured by the associated camera (5a to 5d) contributing for the generation of the output image, spatially adaptive filtering of the raw images (RC1 to RC4) based on the pixel density map (PDM1a to PDM2b) specific to the associated camera (5a to 5d), which indicates an image region-dependent extent of the filtering, identifying mutually corresponding image areas (B1a, B1b, B2a, B2b, B3a, B3b, B4a, B4b) in the at least partially overlapping raw images (RC1 to RC4) of the at least
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Vladimir Zlokolica, Mark Patrick Griffin, Brian Michael Thomas Deegan, Barry Dever, John Maher
  • Publication number: 20200377058
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cleaning apparatus (9) for cleaning a transparent front element (11) of an optical sensor (4) for a motor vehicle (1), including the transparent front element (11) and including a light source (13) for externally illuminating the front element (11) with light beams (14), including a detector device (18) for receiving the light beams passed through the front element (11), and including an evaluation device (19), which is formed for evaluating the light beams received by the detector device (18) for determining a degree of contamination of the front element (11), wherein a control signal (22) for a cleaning device (10) of the cleaning apparatus (9) is generable depending on the evaluation such that the front element (11) is cleanable by means of the cleaning device (10). Further, the invention relates to an assembly (32) and to a method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Enda Peter WARD
  • Patent number: 10839231
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting a rolling shutter effect in images of an environmental region (9) of a motor vehicle (1) captured by an image sensor of at least one camera (4) of the motor vehicle (1) comprising a plurality of sensor lines (15), including the following steps: a) determining a first position (P1) on a sensor plane (13) of the image sensor corresponding to a feature (14) when capturing a first image and identifying a second position (P2) on the sensor plane (13) corresponding to the feature (14) when capturing a second image, b) determining a motion vector (v) characterizing a displacement of the feature (14) on the sensor plane (13) between the first position (P1) and the second position (P2), c) determining a vertical span (?y) of the motion vector (v) characterizing a number of sensor lines (15) at least partially covered by the motion vector (v), d) detecting the rolling shutter effect based on the vertical span (?y).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Pantelis Ermilios, Bryan Mcnamara, William O'Grady, Myles Friel
  • Publication number: 20200339195
    Abstract: A method for automatically parking a vehicle in a parking slot involves manually driving the vehicle into the parking slot in a training step, and thereafter automatically driving the vehicle into the parking slot in a replay step. Automatically driving the vehicle into the parking slot involves detecting information of features of the environment of the vehicle corresponding to the driven trajectory, matching feature descriptors of the detected features of the environment with feature descriptors stored in the digital map, and re-localizing the vehicle against the trajectory stored in the digital map in order to navigate the vehicle along the stored trajectory into the parking slot. Automatically driving the vehicle into the parking slot is repeated multiple times, and involves deleting a feature descriptor stored in the digital map if the number of matches does not exceed a threshold after a predefined number of repetitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Applicant: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: German Feijoo, Bassam Abdallah, Catherine Enright, Margaret Toohey, Jonathan Horgan
  • Publication number: 20200336658
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating a representation of an environment (U) of a vehicle (1) including the steps of: capturing respective images by means of a first camera (2) and a second camera (2) generating a virtual image (31) of a virtual camera (3) from the images, wherein at least a first perspective, in which the environment (U) of the vehicle (1) is represented from a bird's eye perspective, for a first virtual camera position (33) and a second perspective, in which exclusively an area of the environment (U) of the vehicle (1) rearwards related to the vehicle (1) is represented, for a second virtual camera position (44) of the virtual camera (3) are selectable for the virtual image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Arturo Crespo De La Vina
  • Patent number: 10793069
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for assisting a driver of a motor vehicle (1) in maneuvering the motor vehicle (1) with a trailer (3), wherein image data is captured from an environmental region (12) of the motor vehicle (1) by means of at least one vehicle-side camera (5) and by means of at least one trailer-side camera (10) and an image (B) of the environmental region (12) is created for displaying on a vehicle-side display device (14) depending on the captured image data, wherein a perspective (P1, P2), from which the environmental region (12) is displayed in the image (B), is determined depending on a pivot angle (17) between the trailer (3) and the motor vehicle (1). The invention additionally relates to a driver assistance system (2) as well as to a vehicle/trailer combination with a motor vehicle (1), a trailer (3) and a driver assistance system (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Enda Ward, Mike Togher, Fergal O'malley
  • Patent number: 10789731
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting an object (12) alongside a road (10) of a motor vehicle (1) based on at least two images (13) of an environmental region (9) of the motor vehicle (1) consecutively captured by at least one vehicle-side camera (4) for extrinsic calibration of the at least one camera (4), wherein the images (13) at least partially display a texture of a road surface (11) and wherein the following steps are performed: a) determining at least two mutually corresponding blocks (14) based on the at least two images (13); b) determining respective motion vectors for each of the at least two pairs of mutually corresponding blocks (14); c) determining a depth information concerning the at least two images (13) based on the at least two motion vectors; d) detecting the object (12) based on the depth information. The invention also relates to a computing device (3), a driver assistance system (2) as well as a motor vehicle (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Pantelis Ermilios, Bryan Mcnamara, William O'Grady, Myles Friel
  • Patent number: 10783653
    Abstract: It is the object of the present invention to demonstrate a simple method for determining a geometric parameter (H, B, L, R, F) of a trailer (3) of a vehicle/trailer combination (7) with a motor vehicle (1) and the trailer (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Starr, George Siogkas
  • Patent number: 10778019
    Abstract: A battery reverse polarity protection circuit is disclosed. The battery reverse polarity protection circuit includes a field effect transistor (FET) coupled to a control circuit. The FET is configured to transmit an input voltage from a normal-polarity-connected battery to an output terminal, and block the input voltage from a reverses polarity-connected battery to the output terminal. The control circuit is coupled to the input terminal, the output terminal, and a common terminal and is configured to detect, during transmission of the input voltage from the normal-polarity-connected battery to the output terminal, that the input voltage is less than an output voltage, indicating onset of an abnormal operating mode, and turn off the FET to prevent the output voltage from being affected by the input voltage during the abnormal operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Noah Gagnon, Guillaume Hamard, Bernd Rabich, Dominik Lebherz
  • Publication number: 20200283023
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a method for autonomously parking a current vehicle (40) along a trained trajectory (18), comprising the steps of driving a training vehicle (12) along the trajectory (18) and determining environment information along the trajectory (18), determining trajectory information based on the environment information for parking the current vehicle (40) along the trajectory (18), storing the trajectory information from the training vehicle (12) in a personal storage (34) associated to a driver, transferring the trajectory information from the personal storage (34) to the current vehicle (40), and parking the current vehicle (40) along the trained trajectory (18).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicant: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Deardriu Lally, Olivia Donnellan
  • Patent number: 10769762
    Abstract: A camera device for a motor vehicle includes an image sensor to provide a raw image (R) of an environment of the camera device. Additionally, an image processing device generates an output image (I) from the raw image (R) by means of a spreading function of a histogram spreading. The spreading function generates from a respective input pixel value (Li) of each pixel of the raw image (R) each one output pixel value (Lo) of a corresponding pixel of the output image (I). Furthermore, the histogram spreading may be adapted to the capturing situation. At least one parameter value (S, G) of the camera device depending on a brightness (B1, B2) of the environment is acquired and a limit value (L) for the output pixel values (Lo) is set in the spreading function depending on the at least one acquired parameter value (S, G).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Mark Patrick Griffin
  • Patent number: 10707567
    Abstract: The invention relates to an antenna module (3) for a motor vehicle (1) comprising at least one antenna (5, 5a, 5b, 5c) for an infotainment system of the motor vehicle (1), an antenna housing (6) for attaching to an exterior trim part (4) of the motor vehicle (1) and a camera (7) with a camera objective (10) for capturing an environmental region (8) of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the at least one antenna (5, 5a, 5b, 5c) is disposed in an interior of the antenna housing (6), wherein the camera (7) is disposed in the interior of the antenna housing (6) in certain areas, wherein the camera objective (10) is disposed in a passage opening (25) of a housing wall (26) of the antenna housing (6) corresponding to the camera objective (10) at least in certain areas, and the antenna module (3) comprises a sealing element (27) for sealing a gap between the housing wall (26) adjoining to the passage opening (25) and the camera objective (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Carol Grimes, Colin Patrick Hehir
  • Patent number: 10692192
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing image data (24) from a camera system (3) for a motor vehicle (1), wherein the camera system (3) includes at least one camera, in particular a plenoptic camera (4), including a lens (6) and a sensor array (7), in which electromagnetic radiation (15, 17, 19, 21) is captured by means of the sensor array (7) and image data (24) of an environmental region (11) of the motor vehicle (1) is provided based on the captured electromagnetic radiation (15, 17, 19, 21) and the image data (24) is evaluated by means of an evaluation device (5), wherein a direction of incidence of the electromagnetic radiation (15, 17, 19, 21) on the sensor array (7) is determined by the evaluation device (5) based on the image data (24) provided by the sensor array (7) and the image data (24) is adapted by means of the evaluation device (5) depending on the determined direction of incidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Patrick Eoghan Denny, Brian Michael Thomas Deegan
  • Patent number: 10682954
    Abstract: The operation of combinations of a vehicle and a trailer is to be rendered safer. For this purpose a method for reproducing images from backward cameras of a combination of a vehicle and a trailer is suggested. A first image (RV) from a first backward camera, which is arranged on the vehicle, and a second image (TR) from a second backward camera are simultaneously reproduced on a display unit in the vehicle. For the reproduction a predeterminable window (F) of the display unit is used in order to represent exclusively the second image (TR) from the second camera of the trailer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Brian Finan, Alan Hanniffy
  • Publication number: 20200169648
    Abstract: The invention relates to a camera (2) for a motor vehicle (1), including a housing (8) and a circuit board (9) and a retaining element (12), by which the circuit board (9) is retained in the housing (8), wherein the retaining element (12) has a first retaining flap (16) resilient in the direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (15) of the housing (8) and a second retaining flap (17) resilient in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (15), which engage with opposing border sides (20, 21) of the first circuit board (9), wherein the first retaining flap (16) is pressed to a first border side (20) of the first circuit board (9) by an inner side (28) of a first sidewall (24) of the housing (8) in perpendicular direction to the longitudinal axis (15) in the assembled final state of the camera (2), and the second retaining flap (17) is pressed to a second border side (21) of the first circuit board (9) by an inner side (29) of a second sidewall (25) of the housing (8) in perpendicular direction
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Simon Percival, Sean Mcfadden
  • Publication number: 20200151942
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating at least one merged perspective viewing image (24), which shows a motor vehicle (1) and its environmental region (4) from a dynamically variable perspective (P1, P2, P3) of a dynamic virtual camera (12) and which is determined based on raw images (25) of at least two cameras (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) and based on a perspective model (17) of the motor vehicle (1), comprising the steps of: a) determining whether the merged perspective viewing image (24) comprises at least one disturbing signal afflicted image area, and if so, identifying the at least one disturbing signal afflicted image area; b) (S63) determining a severity of disturbing signals (27) within the at least one disturbing signal afflicted image area; c) (S61) determining a significance of the disturbing signals (27) in dependence on the perspective (P1, P2, P3) of the virtual camera (12); d) (S62) determining a degree of coverage of the disturbing signal afflicted image area by the model (17) of the motor ve
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Huanqing Guo, Brian Michael Thomas Deegan, Vladimir Zlokolica