Method for generating a representation of the surroundings, control unit, vehicle, computer program and data carrier

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for generating a representation of the surroundings representing at least one sub-region of the surroundings of a vehicle (1) and augmented with at least one graphical overlay (22), comprising the following steps: - recording one or more camera images of the vehicle surroundings by means of one or more cameras (6) of the vehicle (1), - projecting the camera images onto a bowl-shaped projection surface (7) which surrounds the vehicle (1) in a virtual space (10), wherein the camera images are each projected onto a portion (16, 17) of the projection surface (7) associated with the camera (6) used to record the camera images, - arranging the graphical overlay (22) at an arrangement position (P) associated with the overlay (22) in the virtual space (10), wherein the arrangement position (P), if it lies outside the projection surface (7), is shifted onto the projection surface (7) in the direction of that camera (6) which is associated with that portion of the projection surface (7) which faces the arrangement position (P), and wherein the overlay (22) is projected onto the projection surface (7), - deriving the representation of the surroundings from the projected camera images and the projected graphical overlay (22).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Method for generating an environment representation, control unit, vehicle, computer program and data carrier

[0003] The invention relates to a method for generating an environmental representation representing at least a partial area of ​​a vehicle's surroundings and augmented with at least one graphic overlay. Furthermore, the invention relates to a control unit, a vehicle, a computer program, and a data storage medium.

[0004] Modern vehicles use image representations generated from one or more camera images, for example, depicting a portion of the vehicle's surroundings. The camera images, which are typically generated by cameras mounted on the vehicle, can be projected onto a virtual projection surface to create views of the surroundings from angles other than those of the cameras. This allows, for example, top views of the vehicle's surroundings or perspective views based on a viewpoint adjacent to the vehicle to be created.

[0005] One or more overlays can be superimposed on the camera images to supplement or augment the environmental view with additional information. In this way, information such as driving trajectories, target positions, or warning markings can be inserted into the environmental view to make it easier for the driver to maneuver the vehicle based on the camera images. Various methods for generating environmental representations for vehicles are known from the prior art.

[0006] DE 10 2016 225 066 A1 describes an all-round vision system for a vehicle. The all-round vision system comprises at least one real camera for capturing an image of the vehicle's surroundings from a non-centered position, an image processing unit, and a display unit. The display unit is configured to display a projected representation of the image captured by the real camera and at least one geometric shape, wherein the geometric shape is displayed as an overlay over the image from the real camera.

[0007] When using overlays in combination with camera images projected onto a projection surface, the challenge arises of displaying the overlay with the correct perspective relative to the camera image data, since it is generally unknown which areas of the camera images represent a ground surface or raised environmental objects or structures such as vehicles, trees, etc. This can, for example, lead to overlays that actually mark areas of a ground surface being displayed as floating above the ground surface in a perspective environment representation.

[0008] The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying an improved method for generating an environmental representation augmented with at least one graphic overlay, which in particular enables a perspectively correct representation of the overlay in relation to the representation of the vehicle environment.

[0009] This object is achieved according to the invention in a method of the type mentioned at the outset in that the method comprises the following steps:

[0010] - Recording one or more camera images of the vehicle's surroundings using one or more cameras on the vehicle,

[0011] - Projecting the camera images onto a bowl-shaped projection surface which surrounds the vehicle in a virtual space, whereby the camera images are each projected onto a section of the projection surface assigned to the camera used to record the camera images,

[0012] - Arranging the graphic overlay at an arrangement position in the virtual space assigned to the overlay, wherein the arrangement position, if it lies outside the projection surface, is moved onto the projection surface in the direction of the camera assigned to the section of the projection surface facing the arrangement position, and wherein the overlay is projected onto the projection surface,

[0013] - Deriving the environment representation from the projected camera images and the projected graphic overlay.

[0014] The at least one camera of the vehicle can be, for example, a front camera of the vehicle, a rearview camera of the vehicle, and / or one or more cameras capturing a side area of ​​the vehicle. The vehicle can have multiple cameras, whereby the multiple cameras can, in particular, be a surround-view camera system that captures the entire area around the vehicle (so-called 360° surround view).

[0015] The images captured by the cameras are projected onto a bowl-shaped projection surface. This is a virtual projection surface used to determine the representation of the surroundings from the camera images or image data provided by the cameras. Projection is performed as a computational operation and can be performed, for example, by a computer in the vehicle. Projecting the image data onto the projection surface makes it possible to create a three-dimensional view or a top-down view of the vehicle's surroundings from a virtual camera position.

[0016] The bowl-shaped projection surface comprises, in particular, a flat floor section, in the center of which the virtual equivalent of the vehicle is arranged. Adjoining the floor section is a peripheral edge which delimits an inner region of the projection surface to the outside. The edge can have an edge section which is flat and is at a constant angle to the floor section all the way around. A transition region can be provided between the edge section and the floor section, which can have a parabolic or exponential profile, at least in some areas. The transition region can improve the image quality because a smoother transition is created between the floor section and the edge section.

[0017] The virtual equivalent of the vehicle is, in particular, completely surrounded all the way around by the edge section of the projection surface, so that the virtual vehicle is arranged, so to speak, inside a virtual bowl formed by the projection surface. During projection, each camera, which in particular captures different sub-areas of the vehicle's surroundings, is assigned a section of the projection surface onto which the camera's image data is projected. The assigned section lies, in particular, in a virtual equivalent of the actual camera field of view. It is possible that image data from two or more cameras is projected into some sections of the projection surface, for example, if there are overlapping areas between the capture areas of the vehicle's camera.

[0018] To provide or augment the generated environment representation with additional information, an overlay is used, which is superimposed on the camera images. The overlay is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional graphic that is inserted into the vehicle environment depicted by the camera images and can provide specific areas of the displayed vehicle environment with additional graphic information. The overlay can therefore also be referred to as a graphic element.

[0019] The graphic overlay is placed in an arrangement position. In other words, the arrangement position describes the location where the overlay is placed in the virtual space. The arrangement position can, in particular, correspond to the position of an area of ​​the surrounding area to be marked in the actual vehicle environment.

[0020] If the arrangement position lies outside the projection surface, i.e., outside the area enclosed by the edge section of the bowl-shaped projection surface, the latter is shifted onto the projection surface. The arrangement position is shifted onto the projection surface in the direction of the camera assigned to the section of the projection surface facing the arrangement position. In other words, the arrangement position is moved toward the camera assigned to the section of the projection surface facing the arrangement position, i.e., the camera whose images are projected onto this section. The arrangement position is moved toward this camera until it lies on the projection surface.The overlay is then projected onto the projection surface at the shifted arrangement position, and the environmental representation is derived from the projected camera images and the projected graphic overlay, in particular from a virtual camera arranged in the virtual space.

[0021] By projecting the overlay onto the projection surface at the shifted arrangement position, a perspectively correct representation is achieved for overlays positioned outside the area enclosed by the bowl-shaped projection surface in relation to the camera images depicting the respective part of the vehicle's surroundings. In particular, an overlay augmenting a portion of a floor surface is thus correctly displayed in relation to the camera images, thus avoiding undesirable effects, such as the overlay floating above the ground in the surroundings display. The most realistic augmentation of the vehicle's surroundings possible through a perspectively correct overlay facilitates the perception of the graphic information by a vehicle user.Supporting information provided by the overlay can thus be perceived more quickly and effectively by a vehicle driver, advantageously facilitating overall vehicle operation. The shifting of the arrangement position provided by the invention has the advantage over a perspective projection of an overlay arranged outside the projection surface that no assumptions need to be made about the contour of a floor surface in the image data.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the arrangement position is shifted along a camera beam extending from the camera associated with the portion of the projection surface facing the arrangement position to the arrangement position. The camera beam describes the straight line extending between the arrangement position and a camera assumed to be point-shaped. This advantageously allows for a simple calculation of the shift by determining an intersection point between the camera beam and the projection surface, in particular the edge of the projection surface.

[0023] According to the invention, it can be provided that, if the arrangement position lies within the projection surface, a perspective projection of the overlay takes place at the arrangement position. In other words, if the overlay is located within the bowl-shaped projection surface or within the area enclosed by the edge section of the projection surface, the arrangement position is not shifted, but is projected at the original arrangement position by means of a perspective projection for determining the environmental representation. The perspective projection takes place in particular as a function of the position and viewing direction of a virtual camera in the virtual space, from which the environmental representation is derived. The perspective projection can in particular be carried out under the assumption that the floor section of the projection surface corresponds to the profile of the floor surface.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that, if the section of the projection surface facing the arrangement position is assigned to two or more cameras, the assignment of the sections of the projection surface to the cameras is changed such that the section facing the arrangement position is assigned to only one of the cameras. A section of the projection surface to which camera images generated by two or more of the cameras are assigned can, in particular, correspond to an overlapping area of ​​the detection areas of two or more of the vehicle's cameras. In an overlapping detection area, image data from two or more of the cameras are therefore present, which image data depict the overlapping area, wherein the image data can be superimposed and / or at least partially joined together when the camera images are projected onto the projection surface, for example using an overlay rule.

[0025] To achieve the desired correct overlap between the overlay and the camera images by shifting the arrangement position, the camera assignment for such overlay sections is changed so that only one camera's image data is used for the overlap area. This allows this overlay to be correctly overlaid with the camera images of one camera by shifting the arrangement position.

[0026] The assignment of the camera images to the sections of the projection surface can be described, for example, in an assignment rule. This rule can, for example, provide for different assignments of the camera images to individual sections in overlapping areas depending on the relative position of the arrangement position to the projection surface, so that the section of the projection surface closest to the arrangement position can only be assigned to one of several cameras. The assignment rule can, for example, be stored in a control unit designed to implement the method.

[0027] According to the invention, the arrangement position can correspond to a selected parking space or a parking space suggested for selection in the vicinity of the vehicle. For example, the arrangement position can correspond to the center of the parking space in the virtual space. A selected parking space can be determined automatically, for example, by a parking assistance function of the vehicle, for example by evaluating the image content of the camera images and / or using other environmental sensors of the vehicle, such as ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, lidar sensors, or the like. Alternatively, a parking space can also be selected by a user of the vehicle, for example by manually marking an area of ​​the surroundings via a user interface, such as a touch display or the like.The determination of a suitable parking space can be carried out independently by a user of the vehicle or based on one or more automatically determined and suggested parking spaces in the vicinity of the vehicle.

[0028] According to the invention, it can be provided that the overlay is an overlay augmenting an area of ​​a floor surface, in particular a parking space marking, and / or a graphic object to be arranged on a floor surface, in particular a virtual vehicle representation or a virtual representation of an environmental object. A parking space marking or an overlay representing the driver's own vehicle can be displayed on a selected parking space so that, for example, the destination of a planned or intended parking maneuver and / or a parking position to be assumed by the vehicle is clearly visible. Additionally or alternatively, further environmental objects, for example other vehicles, or other environmental objects arranged in particular on a floor surface, can be displayed or highlighted by the graphic object superimposed on the camera images.

[0029] To generate the environmental representation, the invention can provide that the environmental representation is generated from a virtual camera arranged in the virtual space and / or that the environmental representation is a perspective side view or a top view of the vehicle and the vehicle's surroundings. The position of the virtual camera in the virtual space can generally be chosen arbitrarily. For example, the camera can be located at any height above any point on a floor surface of the virtual space. The environmental representation can then be determined as a view from the virtual camera onto the projection surface with the camera images projected onto it and the projected overlay. Depending on the position of the virtual camera, perspective side views, top views of the vehicle or other types of environmental representations can be generated.

[0030] According to the invention, the generated environmental representation can then be displayed on a display device of the vehicle. The display device can be, for example, a display device arranged in the interior of the vehicle, such as a screen or a touch display.

[0031] For a control device according to the invention, it is provided that the control device is configured to carry out a method according to the invention when one or more camera images of a vehicle environment of a vehicle are provided.

[0032] For a vehicle according to the invention, it is provided that it comprises one or more cameras and a control unit according to the invention.

[0033] For a computer program according to the invention, it is provided that it comprises instructions which cause a computing device to carry out a method according to the invention when camera images of a vehicle environment are provided.

[0034] A data carrier according to the invention is intended to comprise a computer program according to the invention. The data carrier can, in particular, be a non-transient data carrier, for example a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a flash memory, or the like.

[0035] All advantages and embodiments described above with respect to the method according to the invention apply accordingly to the control unit according to the invention, the vehicle according to the invention, the computer program according to the invention, and the data carrier according to the invention, and vice versa. The advantages and embodiments described with respect to these further subject matters of the invention are also transferable analogously to the other subject matters of the invention.

[0036] Further advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments described below and from the drawings. These are schematic representations and show:

[0037] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention,

[0038] Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a method according to the invention,

[0039] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a bowl-shaped projection surface in a virtual space in a side view and

[0040] Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of the bowl-shaped projection surface in the virtual space in a top view.

[0041] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 can be, for example, a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car, a truck, or another type of commercial vehicle. It is also possible for the vehicle 1 to be a non-motorized vehicle such as a trailer or a combination consisting of a towing vehicle and a trailer. The vehicle 1 can also be a rail-bound vehicle, such as a tram or the like, or a robot.

[0042] The vehicle 1 comprises an exemplary embodiment of a driver assistance system 2, which comprises one or more display devices 3 and a control unit 4. The display device 3 can, for example, be one or more screens or displays arranged in an interior of the vehicle 1. The display device 3 is connected to the control unit 4 via a communication connection 5. The communication connection 5 can, for example, be a point-to-point connection or a bus connection such as a CAN bus or the like.

[0043] The control unit 4 is designed to generate an environmental representation from the camera images of one or more cameras 6 of the vehicle and can be implemented, for example, as a microcontroller, a processor, or another type of computing device, or can include such a computing device. The control unit 4 can have a memory device in which computing instructions and / or data can be digitally stored.

[0044] The cameras 6 can capture the vehicle surroundings in front of, behind, and / or next to the vehicle 1. For this purpose, the camera images from the cameras 6 can be transmitted, for example, via the communication connection 5 to the control unit 4, in particular as a video stream, and preferably at least approximately in real time. The cameras 6 can be at least partially fisheye cameras, which can have a detection range with a horizontal and / or vertical aperture angle of 180° or more. The cameras 6 form, in particular, a surround-view camera system that can capture the entire surroundings around the vehicle 1.

[0045] The environmental representation can, in particular, depict the area in front of the vehicle 1, next to the vehicle 1, and / or behind the vehicle 1, and for this purpose, use the image data from one of the cameras 6 or combine the image data from several of the cameras 6 into a common environmental representation. The environmental representation can be a perspective view starting from a virtual camera position, and the camera images can be converted, for example, by transformation into a viewing angle different from the actual camera 6, as will be described in more detail below. For example, the environmental representation can be designed as a perspective side view of the vehicle 1 and a section of the vehicle's surroundings, for example, behind the vehicle.The control unit 4 is configured to implement an exemplary embodiment of a method for generating an environmental representation representing at least a partial area of ​​a vehicle's surroundings and augmented with at least one graphic overlay. Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of such a method.

[0046] In step S1 of the method, one or more camera images of the vehicle's surroundings are recorded using one or more cameras 6 of the vehicle 1. The camera images are transmitted from the cameras 3 to the control unit 4 via the communication link 5. In the present example, camera images are recorded by all four cameras 6 and transmitted to the control unit 4.

[0047] In step S2, the camera images are projected onto a bowl-shaped projection surface surrounding the vehicle 1 in a virtual space. The camera images are each projected onto a section of the projection surface associated with the camera used to record the camera images. Fig. 3 schematically shows a side view of a bowl-shaped projection surface 7. A corresponding top view of the bowl-shaped projection surface is shown in Fig. 4.

[0048] The bowl-shaped projection surface 7 comprises a flat floor section 8, which lies on a floor surface 9 of the virtual space 10. The floor section 8 has, for example, an elliptical shape in the plane of the floor surface 9, as shown in Fig. 4. Alternatively, the floor section 8 can also have a different geometry, for example, a circular shape. The floor surface 9 corresponds at least approximately to the course of a road surface assumed to be planar.

[0049] The width of the projection surface in the x-direction and / or y-direction can be fixed or adjusted depending on one or more environmental parameters, for example, depending on the distances to surrounding objects detected by an environmental sensor (not shown) of the vehicle 1. Ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, lidar sensors, or other cameras of the vehicle can be used as environmental sensors. It is also possible to determine environmental parameters based on an image data analysis of the camera images from the cameras 6.

[0050] A transition area is located around the sides of the floor section 8

[0051] 11 and an edge portion 12 of the projection surface 7. The edge portion 12 is at an angle to the base portion 8 and has a straight, non-curved profile. Between the base portion 8 and the edge portion

[0052] Located at 12 is the transition region 11, which has a curved profile, for example, parabolic or exponential. The transition region 11 and the edge region 12 form an edge 14 of the projection surface 7, encompassing the interior 13 of the projection surface. The base section 8 and the edge 14, or the transition region 11 and the edge section 12, form a bowl shape, which at least partially encloses the interior 13 of the projection surface 7 laterally.

[0053] A virtual model 15 of the vehicle 1 is arranged on the floor area 8 in the interior 13 of the projection surface 7. The camera images recorded by the cameras 6 are projected onto sections of the projection surface 7 assigned to the respective cameras 6, depending on the respective surrounding area captured or the arrangement of the respective camera 6 on the vehicle 1. More than one camera 6 can be assigned to a section of the projection surface.

[0054] Fig. 4 shows two exemplary sections 16 and 17. For example, the camera images of a camera 6 arranged as a rear-view camera 18, which is assigned to section 16, are projected onto section 16. Section 17 is assigned to the rear-view camera 18 and another camera 6 arranged as a side camera 19, since section 17 is located in an overlap area between a detection area 20 of the rear-view camera 18 and a detection area 21 of the side camera 19. In other words, sections 16, 17 are each assigned in particular to those cameras in whose detection areas, or the virtual equivalents of the detection areas, they are arranged.

[0055] The camera images from the rearview camera 18 and the side camera 19 can, for example, be partially blended and / or cropped and joined together in section 17 to achieve the most seamless transition possible in the representation of the surroundings. Accordingly, additional sections of the projection surface 7 can also be assigned to the additional cameras 6 of the vehicle 1, thus achieving a seamless, all-round projection of the camera images onto the projection surface 7.

[0056] The environmental representation can then be generated starting from a virtual camera arranged at a point V. The virtual camera can in particular have any field of view directed onto the projection surface 7, so that a perspective view or a top view of the vehicle 1 can be generated as the environmental representation.

[0057] In step S3 of the exemplary embodiment of the method shown in Fig. 2, a graphic overlay 22 is arranged at an arrangement position P in the virtual space assigned to the overlay 22. The overlay 22 can, in particular, be an overlay augmenting a region of the floor surface 9, in particular a parking space marking, and / or a graphic object to be arranged on the floor surface 9, in particular a virtual vehicle representation or a virtual representation of an environmental object.

[0058] The overlay 22 is arranged in the virtual space 10 at an arrangement position P, wherein the arrangement position P can, for example, be assigned to a selected parking space or a parking space suggested for selection in the vicinity of the vehicle 1. This can, for example, be the position of a parking space determined by a driver assistance system and suggested to a user of the vehicle 1 and / or the position of a parking space selected by a user. The position of the actual parking space in the vehicle's surroundings can, for example, be a reference point of the parking space, for example the center point of the parking space, which is accordingly transferred to the virtual space 13 as the arrangement position P.

[0059] If the arrangement position P lies in the interior 13 of the projection surface 7 (not shown), a perspective projection of the overlay 22 takes place at the arrangement position P. However, if the arrangement position P lies outside the projection surface 7, as shown in Fig. 3, the arrangement position P is shifted onto the projection surface 7 in the direction of the camera 6 which is assigned to the section 16, 17 of the projection surface 7 facing the arrangement position P. The overlay 22 is then projected onto the projection surface 7 at the shifted arrangement position P'. For this purpose, in particular each point or each vertex of the overlay 22 is projected individually onto the projection surface 7, so that a projected image of the overlay 22 is then produced on the projection surface 7.

[0060] The arrangement position P is shifted along a camera beam 23, which extends from the camera 6 assigned to the section 16, 17 of the projection surface 7 facing the arrangement position P to the arrangement position. In this case, the section 16 faces the arrangement position P, so that a camera beam 23 from the rear-view camera 18 to the arrangement position P is used for the shifting. The arrangement position P is shifted along this camera beam 23 onto the projection surface 7. The shifted arrangement position P' is thus located at the intersection point of the camera beam 23 with the projection surface 7.

[0061] If the section of the projection surface 7 facing an arrangement position P is assigned to two or more of the cameras 6, the assignment of the sections of the projection surface 7 to the cameras 6 is changed such that the section facing the arrangement position is assigned to only one of the cameras 6. This case is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 for a further arrangement position Q. As described above, both the rear-view camera 18 and the side camera 19 are assigned to the section 17 of the projection surface 7 facing the further arrangement position Q. In order to enable a perspectively correct representation of the overlay 22, the assignment for section 17 is changed, for example, such that only the rear-view camera 18 is assigned to it.In other words, for generating the environmental representation with the overlay 22 arranged at the further arrangement position Q, only the camera images of the rear view camera 18 are projected onto the section 17, ie only the camera images of one of the cameras 18, 19 with the overlapping detection areas 20, 21 are used for the overlap area.

[0062] In step S4, the environmental representation is derived from the projected camera images and the projected graphic overlay 22. Depending on the position and viewing direction of the virtual camera, different perspective views and / or top views of the virtual vehicle 15 and the vehicle environment can be generated.

[0063] The generated environmental representation is then displayed on the display device 3 of the vehicle 1 in step S5. This can facilitate, for example, a parking maneuver, since the vehicle user can easily and clearly identify a selected target position.

[0064] Analogous to the previously described embodiment, further views can also be generated using the camera images of further and / or other cameras 6 of the vehicle 1.

Claims

Patent claims 1 . Method for generating an environmental representation representing at least a partial area of ​​a vehicle environment of a vehicle (1) and augmented with at least one graphic overlay (22), comprising the steps: - Recording one or more camera images of the vehicle surroundings by means of one or more cameras (6) of the vehicle (1), - Projecting the camera images onto a bowl-shaped projection surface (7) which surrounds the vehicle (1) in a virtual space (10), wherein the camera images are each projected onto a section (16, 17) of the projection surface (7) associated with the camera (6) used to record the camera images, - arranging the graphic overlay (22) at an arrangement position (P) assigned to the overlay (22) in the virtual space (10), wherein the arrangement position (P), if it lies outside the projection surface (7), is displaced onto the projection surface (7) in the direction of that camera (6) which is assigned to the section of the projection surface (7) facing the arrangement position (P), and wherein the overlay (22) is projected onto the projection surface (7), - Deriving the environment representation from the projected camera images and the projected graphic overlay (22).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the arrangement position (P) is displaced along a camera beam (23) extending from the camera (6) which is assigned to the section (16, 17) of the projection surface (7) facing the arrangement position (P) to the arrangement position (P).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, if the arrangement position (P) lies within the projection surface (7), a perspective projection of the overlay (22) is carried out at the arrangement position (P).

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, if the section (16, 17) of the projection surface (7) facing the arrangement position (P) is assigned to two or more cameras (6), a change in the assignment of the sections (16, 17) of the projection surface (7) to the cameras (6) takes place in such a way that the section (16, 17) facing the arrangement position (P) is assigned to only one of the cameras (6).

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the arrangement position (P) corresponds to a selected parking space or a parking space proposed for selection in the vicinity of the vehicle (1).

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the overlay (22) is an overlay (22) augmenting a region of a floor surface (9), in particular a parking space marking, and / or a graphic object to be arranged on a floor surface (9), in particular a virtual vehicle representation or a virtual representation of an environmental object.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the environmental representation is generated starting from a virtual camera arranged in the virtual space (10) and / or that the environmental representation is a perspective side view or a top view of the vehicle (1) and the vehicle surroundings.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the generated environmental representation is displayed on a display device (3) of the vehicle (1).

9. Control unit configured to execute a method according to one of the preceding claims upon provision of one or more camera images of a vehicle's surroundings of a vehicle (1).

10. Vehicle comprising one or more cameras (6) and a control unit (4) according to claim 9.

11. A computer program comprising instructions that cause a computing device to execute a method according to one of claims 1 to 8 when camera images of a vehicle environment are provided.

12. A data carrier comprising a computer program according to claim 11.

Images