Solar invariant imaging system for object detection

• US 10,397,497 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Graves, Jack E., Mazuir, Clarisse, Remesch, Bryce J., Ion, Lucian
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaworecki, Mark R
• Application Number:
  US16/055,316
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/06 Systems determining position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4808 Evaluating distance, position or velocity data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/51 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30236 Traffic on road, railway or crossing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30256 Lane; Road marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30261 Obstacle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03046 including ternary or quaternary compounds, e.g. GaAlAs, InGaAs, InGaAsP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/544 Solar cells from Group III-V materials

Abstract

An object detection system includes an infrared light source and an imaging system that generates an image from a portion of the infrared spectrum characterized by full absorption of solar radiation. A control system detects an object using the image, determines a command based on a location of the object, and sends a command to one or more vehicle systems. Another object detection system includes an imaging system that generates a first image based on a visible spectrum and a second image based an infrared spectrum. A control system receives a disparity indication associated with object detection and sends a command to one or more vehicle systems to implement a disparity response based on the disparity indication. The disparity indication includes information that an object is not detected within the first image and that the object is detected within the second image.

Claims

1. An object detection system, comprising:

an imaging system that;

generates a first image based on incident light captured in a visible spectrum; and

generates a second image based on incident light captured in an infrared spectrum; and

a control system that;

receives a disparity indication associated with object detection, wherein the disparity indication includes information that an object is not detected within the first image and that the object is detected within the second image; and

sends a command to one or more vehicle systems to implement a disparity response based on the disparity indication.

2. The object detection system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system comprises:

a first image sensor that captures incident light in the visible spectrum; and

a second image sensor that captures incident light in the infrared spectrum.

3. The object detection system of claim 2, wherein the first image sensor includes at least one of a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) and the second image sensor includes an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) sensor.

4. The object detection system of claim 1, wherein the disparity response includes performing object detection using a third image separate from the first image and the second image.

5. The object detection system of claim 1, wherein the disparity response includes causing one or more vehicle systems to decrease a speed of a vehicle or change a path of the vehicle.

6. The object detection system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system, comprises:

a light source that illuminates a portion of a scene;

an image sensor that captures a portion of incident light in the infrared spectrum from the illuminated portion of the scene; and

a filter that allows the portion of incident light to enter one or more pixels of the image sensor.

7. The object detection system of claim 6, wherein the light source is at least one of tungsten, halogen, incandescent, blackbody, near blackbody, infrared, near-infrared light emitting diode, or laser.

8. The object detection system of claim 6, wherein the portion of incident light is a predetermined wavelength of incident light of 1350 nm or 1875 nm.

9. The object detection system of claim 6, wherein the portion of incident light comprises a range of wavelengths of incident light.

10. The object detection system of claim 9, wherein the range comprises a 40 nm to 130 nm band inclusive of a wavelength of 1350 nm or 1875 nm.

11. The object detection system of claim 6, wherein the portion of incident light includes a first predetermined wavelength of incident light that enters a first pixel of the image sensor and a second predetermined wavelength of incident light that enters a second pixel of the image sensor.

12. The object detection system of claim 11, wherein the first predetermined wavelength and the second predetermined wavelength are different wavelengths selected from a group comprising:

1250 nm, 1350 nm, 1450 nm, and 1550 nm wavelengths.

13. An object detection and control system, comprising:

an infrared light source;

an imaging system that;

generates a first image by capturing incident light in a visible spectrum; and

generates a second image by capturing incident light from a portion of an infrared spectrum,

wherein the portion of the infrared spectrum comprises a band of the infrared spectrum having a width of 130 nm or less, and

wherein the band of the infrared spectrum includes at least one wavelength from the group of;

1250 nm, 1350 nm, 1450 nm, and 1550 nm; and

a control system that;

receives a disparity indication associated with object detection, wherein the disparity indication includes information that an object is not detected within the first image and that the object is detected within the second image; and

determines a command to implement a disparity response based on the disparity indication; and

an actuator, wherein the command causes operation of the actuator.

14. The object detection and control system of claim 13, wherein the imaging system includes a first image sensor that captures incident light in the visible spectrum and a second image sensor that captures incident light in the infrared spectrum.

15. The object detection and control system of claim 14, wherein the first image sensor includes at least one of a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) and the second image sensor includes at least one of an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) sensor, a Germanium (Ga) camera, a phosphor coated CCD detector, or a phosphor coated CMOS silicon detector.

16. The object detection and control system of claim 13, wherein the light source is at least one of tungsten, halogen, incandescent, blackbody, near blackbody, infrared, near-infrared light emitting diode, or laser.

17. The object detection and control system of claim 13, wherein the disparity response includes performing object detection using a third image separate from the first image and the second image.

18. The object detection and control system of claim 13, wherein the disparity response includes causing one or more vehicle systems to decrease a speed of a vehicle or change a path of the vehicle.

19. An object detection system, comprising:

an infrared light source that illuminates a portion of a scene;

an image sensor that captures incident light from the infrared light source in a portion of an infrared spectrum from the illuminated portion of the scene, the portion of the infrared spectrum characterized by full absorption of solar radiation;

an imaging system that;

generates a first image based on incident light captured in a visible spectrum; and

generates a second image based on incident light captured by the image sensor in the portion of the infrared spectrum; and

a control system that;

receives a disparity indication that an object is not detected within the first image and that the object is detected within the second image;

determines a command for one of more vehicle systems based on the disparity indication; and

sends the command to the one or more vehicle systems.

20. The object detection system of claim 19, wherein the portion of the infrared spectrum includes at least one wavelength from the group of:

1250 nm, 1350 nm, 1450 nm, and 1550 nm.