Apparatus and method for detecting precipitation for a motor vehicle
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for detecting precipitation on a windscreen of a motor vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a camera device configured to record a first image and thereafter a second image;
a comparison device configured to produce a first comparison image by comparing the first image with the second image; and
an image detection device configured to detect objects in the first comparison image, and to determine a respective apparent motion and a respective apparent motion direction of moving objects among the detected objects, and to classify some of the moving objects respectively as being either precipitation drops on the windscreen or non-precipitation objects in an outside environment of the motor vehicle based on consideration of at least the respective motion direction thereof;
wherein the moving objects include first moving objects of which the respective motion direction includes a lateral or horizontal motion component, and second moving objects of which the respective motion direction does not include a lateral or horizontal motion component, andwherein the image detection device is further configured so that the classifying of the moving objects based on consideration of the respective motion direction thereof comprises ignoring or filtering-out the first moving objects and further classifying only the second moving objects as being either the precipitation drops or the non-precipitation objects.
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Abstract
An apparatus and a method are for detecting precipitation on a windscreen of a motor vehicle. A camera device records a first image and thereafter a second image. A comparison device produces a first comparison image by comparing the first image with the second image. An image detection device identifies objects on the first comparison image, and determines motion of the objects, to detect whether there is precipitation on the windscreen.
18 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting precipitation on a windscreen of a motor vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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a camera device configured to record a first image and thereafter a second image; a comparison device configured to produce a first comparison image by comparing the first image with the second image; and an image detection device configured to detect objects in the first comparison image, and to determine a respective apparent motion and a respective apparent motion direction of moving objects among the detected objects, and to classify some of the moving objects respectively as being either precipitation drops on the windscreen or non-precipitation objects in an outside environment of the motor vehicle based on consideration of at least the respective motion direction thereof; wherein the moving objects include first moving objects of which the respective motion direction includes a lateral or horizontal motion component, and second moving objects of which the respective motion direction does not include a lateral or horizontal motion component, and wherein the image detection device is further configured so that the classifying of the moving objects based on consideration of the respective motion direction thereof comprises ignoring or filtering-out the first moving objects and further classifying only the second moving objects as being either the precipitation drops or the non-precipitation objects. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17)
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12. A method of detecting precipitation on a windscreen of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the following steps performed with a driver assistance system of the vehicle:
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with a camera of the driver assistance system recording a first image and thereafter a second image; producing a comparison image from the first image and the second image; identifying objects in the comparison image; determining a respective apparent motion and a respective apparent motion direction of moving objects among the identified objects, wherein the moving objects include first moving objects of which the respective motion direction includes a lateral or horizontal motion component, and second moving objects of which the respective motion direction does not include a lateral or horizontal motion component; and classifying some of the moving objects based on consideration of at least the motion direction thereof, comprising ignoring or filtering-out the first moving objects and then further classifying the second moving objects to determine whether the second moving objects represent environment objects in an outside environment in front of the motor vehicle or represent precipitation drops on the windscreen.
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13. A method of detecting precipitation on a windscreen of a motor vehicle, the method comprising the following steps performed with a driver assistance system of the motor vehicle:
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a) with a camera of the driver assistance system having a field of view directed through the windscreen and focused in an outside environment in front of the motor vehicle, recording a first image and thereafter a second image; b) evaluating the images and detecting therein moving objects that have moved in the second image relative to the first image; c) determining a respective motion direction of the moving objects; d) among the moving objects, determining first moving objects of which the respective motion direction is horizontal and determining second moving objects of which the respective motion direction does not include a lateral or horizontal motion component; and e) performing a rain detection procedure on the second moving objects, and ignoring or filtering-out the first moving objects from the rain detection procedure, wherein the rain detection procedure comprises classifying the second moving objects to determine whether the second moving objects represent physical objects in the outside environment in front of the motor vehicle or represent precipitation drops on the windscreen. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification