Abstract: A method for ascertaining a distance between a vehicle and a projection surface, onto which a characteristic light pattern is projected using a headlight of the vehicle, includes detecting, in an image of the characteristic light pattern captured by an image capturing unit, a characteristic structure produced by a first light-producing unit by evaluating a geometric location relationship in the captured image between the trajectory and characteristic structures of a characteristic light pattern that are located in an environment along the trajectory; calculating a point on the ray path that is correlated with a position of the detected characteristic structure on the trajectory in accordance with the transformation rule; and calculating the distance between the vehicle and the projection surface from the calculated point on the ray path.

Abstract: A method for segmenting a projected pattern in an image recorded by a camera includes recording, by a camera in a learning phase, a multiplicity of images produced by virtue of a light source projecting the pattern from a plurality of different angles onto a projection surface in a clean room, wherein the projection surface has a plurality of respectively different distances from the light source for each angle; transforming the multiplicity of images into a frequency domain representation; obtaining a value range of occurring frequencies from the frequency domain representation of the multiplicity of images; and masking, in an application phase, frequencies other than the frequencies lying in the value range in a frequency domain representation of the image recorded by the camera, wherein a difference image produced in this manner is transformed back from the frequency domain representation.

Abstract: A method for determining a location relationship between a camera and a headlight of a vehicle includes positioning the vehicle at a distance in front of a surface exhibiting a calibration pattern, ascertaining the distance between the calibration pattern and the vehicle, projecting a pattern onto the surface using a headlight of the vehicle, and detecting characteristic features in the projected pattern. The method further includes performing the previous steps for at least one additional distance between the vehicle and the surface. In addition, the method includes interpolating positions of detected characteristic features that correspond in each case to one another at the different distances using a linear function, determining an intersection of the ascertained linear functions, and determining the location relationship between the camera and the headlight of the vehicle on the basis of the position of the intersection of the ascertained linear functions relative to the camera.

Abstract: A method for ascertaining a distance between a vehicle and a projection surface, onto which a characteristic light pattern is projected using a headlight of the vehicle, includes detecting, in an image of the characteristic light pattern captured by an image capturing unit, a characteristic structure produced by a first light-producing unit by evaluating a geometric location relationship in the captured image between the trajectory and characteristic structures of a characteristic light pattern that are located in an environment along the trajectory; calculating a point on the ray path that is correlated with a position of the detected characteristic structure on the trajectory in accordance with the transformation rule; and calculating the distance between the vehicle and the projection surface from the calculated point on the ray path.

Abstract: A method for determining a location relationship between a camera and a headlight of a vehicle includes positioning the vehicle at a distance in front of a surface exhibiting a calibration pattern, ascertaining the distance between the calibration pattern and the vehicle, projecting a pattern onto the surface using a headlight of the vehicle, and detecting characteristic features in the projected pattern. The method further includes performing the previous steps for at least one additional distance between the vehicle and the surface. In addition, the method includes interpolating positions of detected characteristic features that correspond in each case to one another at the different distances using a linear function, determining an intersection of the ascertained linear functions, and determining the location relationship between the camera and the headlight of the vehicle on the basis of the position of the intersection of the ascertained linear functions relative to the camera.

Abstract: A method for segmenting a projected pattern in an image recorded by a camera includes recording, by a camera in a learning phase, a multiplicity of images produced by virtue of a light source projecting the pattern from a plurality of different angles onto a projection surface in a clean room, wherein the projection surface has a plurality of respectively different distances from the light source for each angle; transforming the multiplicity of images into a frequency domain representation; obtaining a value range of occurring frequencies from the frequency domain representation of the multiplicity of images; and masking, in an application phase, frequencies other than the frequencies lying in the value range in a frequency domain representation of the image recorded by the camera, wherein a difference image produced in this manner is transformed back from the frequency domain representation.