Vehicle vision system with thermal sensor
First Claim
1. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
- a high resolution camera disposed at a windshield of a vehicle and having a field of view through the windshield and forward of the vehicle;
wherein said camera comprises an imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements, said plurality of photosensing elements comprising at least 1,000,000 photosensing elements;
a low resolution sensor disposed at a forward portion of the vehicle and having a field of sensing forward of the vehicle, said low resolution sensor comprising a plurality of sensing elements, said plurality of sensing elements comprising less than 240,000 sensing elements;
a control;
wherein, responsive to processing of an output of said low resolution sensor, said control determines the presence of a hot spot forward of the vehicle, wherein the hot spot comprises a region within the field of sensing of said low resolution sensor where there exists a concentration of electromagnetic radiation above a threshold level;
wherein, responsive to determination of a hot spot, said control enhances image processing of image data captured by said camera to determine if the determined hot spot is indicative of presence of a pedestrian or animal ahead of the vehicle; and
wherein, responsive to determination, via enhanced image processing of image data captured by said camera, that the determined hot spot is indicative of presence of a pedestrian or animal ahead of the vehicle, said control at least one of (i) generates an alert to a driver of the vehicle and (ii) controls a system of the vehicle to mitigate impact with the pedestrian or animal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vision system for a vehicle includes a high resolution camera disposed at the vehicle windshield and having a field of view forward of the vehicle, and a low resolution sensor disposed at a forward portion of the vehicle and having a field of sensing forward of the vehicle. Responsive to processing of an output of the low resolution sensor, a control determines the presence of a hot spot forward of the vehicle. Responsive to determination of a hot spot, the control enhances processing of image data captured by the camera to determine if the hot spot is indicative of presence of a pedestrian or animal ahead of the vehicle. Responsive to determination that the hot spot is indicative of presence of a pedestrian or animal, the control generates an alert to a driver of the vehicle and/or controls a vehicle system to mitigate impact with the pedestrian or animal.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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a high resolution camera disposed at a windshield of a vehicle and having a field of view through the windshield and forward of the vehicle; wherein said camera comprises an imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements, said plurality of photosensing elements comprising at least 1,000,000 photosensing elements; a low resolution sensor disposed at a forward portion of the vehicle and having a field of sensing forward of the vehicle, said low resolution sensor comprising a plurality of sensing elements, said plurality of sensing elements comprising less than 240,000 sensing elements; a control; wherein, responsive to processing of an output of said low resolution sensor, said control determines the presence of a hot spot forward of the vehicle, wherein the hot spot comprises a region within the field of sensing of said low resolution sensor where there exists a concentration of electromagnetic radiation above a threshold level; wherein, responsive to determination of a hot spot, said control enhances image processing of image data captured by said camera to determine if the determined hot spot is indicative of presence of a pedestrian or animal ahead of the vehicle; and wherein, responsive to determination, via enhanced image processing of image data captured by said camera, that the determined hot spot is indicative of presence of a pedestrian or animal ahead of the vehicle, said control at least one of (i) generates an alert to a driver of the vehicle and (ii) controls a system of the vehicle to mitigate impact with the pedestrian or animal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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a high resolution camera disposed at a windshield of a vehicle and having a field of view through the windshield and forward of the vehicle; wherein said camera comprises an imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements, said plurality of photosensing elements comprising at least 1,000,000 photosensing elements; a low resolution thermal sensor disposed at a forward portion of the vehicle and having a field of sensing forward of the vehicle, said low resolution thermal sensor comprising a sensing array having a plurality of sensing elements, said plurality of sensing elements comprising less than 100,000 sensing elements; a control; wherein, responsive to processing of an output of said low resolution thermal sensor, said control determines the presence of a hot spot forward of the vehicle, wherein the hot spot comprises a region within the field of sensing of said low resolution thermal sensor where there exists a concentration of heat above a threshold level; wherein, responsive to determination of a hot spot, said control enhances image processing of image data captured by said camera to determine if the determined hot spot is indicative of presence of a pedestrian or animal ahead of the vehicle; and wherein, responsive to determination, via enhanced image processing of image data captured by said camera, that the determined hot spot is indicative of presence of a pedestrian or animal ahead of the vehicle, said control at least one of (i) generates an alert to a driver of the vehicle and (ii) controls a system of the vehicle to mitigate impact with the determined pedestrian or animal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
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a high resolution camera disposed at a windshield of a vehicle and having a field of view through the windshield and forward of the vehicle; wherein said camera comprises an imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements, said plurality of photosensing elements comprising at least 1,000,000 photosensing elements; a low resolution thermal sensor disposed at a forward portion of the vehicle and having a field of sensing forward of the vehicle, said low resolution thermal sensor comprising a sensing array having a plurality of sensing elements, said plurality of sensing elements comprising less than 240 sensing elements; wherein said low resolution thermal sensor comprises a bolometer sensor; a control; wherein, responsive to processing of an output of said low resolution thermal sensor, said control determines the presence of a hot spot forward of the vehicle, wherein the hot spot comprises a region within the field of sensing of said low resolution thermal sensor where there exists a concentration of heat above a threshold level; wherein, responsive to determination of a hot spot, said control enhances image processing of image data captured by said camera to determine if the determined hot spot is indicative of presence of a pedestrian or animal ahead of the vehicle; wherein said control enhances image processing of captured image data by directing illumination towards the determined hot spot; and wherein, responsive to determination, via enhanced image processing of image data captured by said camera, that the determined hot spot is indicative of presence of a pedestrian or animal ahead of the vehicle, said control at least one of (i) generates an alert to a driver of the vehicle and (ii) controls a system of the vehicle to mitigate impact with the pedestrian or animal. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification