Vehicle vision system with lens pollution detection
First Claim
1. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
- a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle;
wherein said camera comprises a lens and an imaging array comprising an array of photosensing elements having multiple columns of photosensing elements and multiple rows of photosensing elements;
said multiple columns of photosensing elements being generally vertically orientated relative to ground when said camera is disposed at the vehicle;
said multiple rows of photosensing elements being generally horizontally orientated relative to ground when said camera is disposed at the vehicle;
said multiple rows of photosensing elements comprising top rows, middle rows and bottom rows;
wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, top rows are higher above ground than middle and bottom rows;
wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, middle rows are higher above ground than bottom rows and are lower above ground than top rows;
wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, middle rows are between top rows and bottom rows;
a processor operable to process image data captured by said camera;
wherein, when the vehicle is moving, top row brightness values at top rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor;
wherein, when the vehicle is moving, middle row brightness values at middle rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor;
wherein, when the vehicle is moving, bottom row brightness values at bottom rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor;
wherein contrast of middle row brightness values compared to bottom row brightness values or top row brightness values is determined; and
wherein, based on determined contrast of middle row brightness values compared to bottom row brightness values or top row brightness values, an at least partial blockage of said camera is detected.
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Abstract
A vision system for a vehicle includes a camera having an imaging array having multiple columns of photosensing elements and multiple rows of photosensing elements, with the columns of photosensing elements being generally vertically orientated and the rows of photosensing elements being generally horizontally orientated relative to ground. The multiple rows of photosensing elements comprising top rows, middle rows and bottom rows. When the vehicle is moving, top row brightness values at top rows, middle row brightness values at middle rows, and bottom row brightness values at bottom rows are determined by processing of captured image data by a processor. Contrast of middle row brightness values compared to bottom row brightness values or top row brightness values is determined and, based on determined contrast of middle row brightness values compared to bottom row brightness values or top row brightness values, an at least partial blockage of the camera is detected.
237 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle; wherein said camera comprises a lens and an imaging array comprising an array of photosensing elements having multiple columns of photosensing elements and multiple rows of photosensing elements; said multiple columns of photosensing elements being generally vertically orientated relative to ground when said camera is disposed at the vehicle; said multiple rows of photosensing elements being generally horizontally orientated relative to ground when said camera is disposed at the vehicle; said multiple rows of photosensing elements comprising top rows, middle rows and bottom rows; wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, top rows are higher above ground than middle and bottom rows; wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, middle rows are higher above ground than bottom rows and are lower above ground than top rows; wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, middle rows are between top rows and bottom rows; a processor operable to process image data captured by said camera; wherein, when the vehicle is moving, top row brightness values at top rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor; wherein, when the vehicle is moving, middle row brightness values at middle rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor; wherein, when the vehicle is moving, bottom row brightness values at bottom rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor; wherein contrast of middle row brightness values compared to bottom row brightness values or top row brightness values is determined; and wherein, based on determined contrast of middle row brightness values compared to bottom row brightness values or top row brightness values, an at least partial blockage of said camera is detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle; wherein said camera comprises a lens and an imaging array comprising an array of photosensing elements having at least 640 columns of photosensing elements and at least 480 rows of photosensing elements; said at least 640 columns of photosensing elements being generally vertically orientated relative to ground when said camera is disposed at the vehicle; said at least 480 rows of photosensing elements being generally horizontally orientated relative to ground when said camera is disposed at the vehicle; said at least 480 rows of photosensing elements comprising top rows, middle rows and bottom rows; wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, top rows are higher above ground than middle and bottom rows; wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, middle rows are higher above ground than bottom rows and are lower above ground than top rows; wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, middle rows are between top rows and bottom rows; a processor operable to process image data captured by said camera; wherein, when the vehicle is moving, top row brightness values at top rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor; wherein, when the vehicle is moving, middle row brightness values at middle rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor; wherein, when the vehicle is moving, bottom row brightness values at bottom rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor; wherein contrast of middle row brightness values compared to bottom row brightness values or top row brightness values is determined; wherein, based on determined contrast of middle row brightness values compared to bottom row brightness values or top row brightness values, an at least partial blockage of said camera is detected; and wherein, when an at least partial blockage of said camera is detected, said system at least one of (i) generates an alert, (ii) adapts processing of captured image data to at least partially accommodate for the at least partial blockage and (iii) cleans said lens. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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a camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle; wherein said camera comprises a lens and an imaging array comprising an array of photosensing elements having at least 640 columns of photosensing elements and at least 480 rows of photosensing elements; said at least 640 columns of photosensing elements being generally vertically orientated relative to ground when said camera is disposed at the vehicle; said at least 480 rows of photosensing elements being generally horizontally orientated relative to ground when said camera is disposed at the vehicle; said at least 480 rows of photosensing elements comprising top rows, middle rows and bottom rows; wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, top rows are higher above ground than middle and bottom rows; wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, middle rows are higher above ground than bottom rows and are lower above ground than top rows; wherein, with said camera disposed at the vehicle, middle rows are between top rows and bottom rows; a processor operable to process image data captured by said camera; wherein, when the vehicle is moving, top row brightness values at top rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor; wherein, when the vehicle is moving, middle row brightness values at middle rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor; wherein, when the vehicle is moving, bottom row brightness values at bottom rows are determined by processing of captured image data by said processor; wherein contrast of middle row brightness values compared to bottom row brightness values or top row brightness values is determined; wherein, based on determined contrast of middle row brightness values compared to bottom row brightness values or top row brightness values, an at least partial blockage of said camera is detected; wherein, when an at least partial blockage of said camera is detected, said system at least one of (i) generates an alert, (ii) adapts processing of captured image data to at least partially accommodate for the at least partial blockage and (iii) cleans said lens; wherein said camera comprises a CMOS camera; and wherein said camera is part of a multi-camera birds-eye surround view system of the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification