Image processing system to control vehicle headlamps or other vehicle equipment

• US 20020156559A1
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Pierce, Mark W., Stam, Joseph S., Ockerse, Harold C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,631,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/087 including an ambient light sensor control of vehicle lights B60Q
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0885 the sensor being integrated in a rear-view mirror module
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/94 Hardware or software architectures specially adapted for image or video understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/08 Detecting or categorising vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof

Abstract

An imaging system of the invention includes an image array sensor including a plurality of pixels. Each of the pixels generate a signal indicative of the amount of light received on the pixel. The imaging system further includes an analog to digital converter for quantizing the signals from the pixels into a digital value. The system further includes a memory including a plurality of allocated storage locations for storing the digital values from the analog to digital converter. The number of allocated storage locations in the memory is less than the number of pixels in the image array sensor. According to another embodiment, an imaging device includes an image sensor having a plurality pixels arranged in an array; and a multi-layer interference filter disposed over said pixel array, said multi-layer interference filter being patterned so as to provide filters of different colors to neighboring pixels or groups of pixels.

Claims

1. An imaging system for controlling vehicle equipment comprising:

an image array sensor including a plurality of pixels, each said pixel operable to generate a signal indicative of the amount of light received on the pixel;

an analog to digital converter for quantizing said signals from said pixels into a digital value; and

a memory including a plurality of allocated storage locations for storing said digital values from said analog to digital converter, wherein the number of allocated storage locations in said memory is less than the number of pixels in said image array sensor.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 and further including a control circuit coupled to said image array sensor for controlling the brightness of vehicle headlamps in response to the brightness of objects detected in a scene imaged by said image array sensor.

3. The imaging system of claim 1 and further including a control circuit coupled to said image array sensor for controlling vehicle windshield wipers in response to the detection of moisture on the vehicle windshield as imaged by said image array sensor.

4. The imaging system of claim 1 and further including a control circuit coupled to said image array sensor for processing the image of the scene obtained from said image array sensor to generate a collision avoidance warning.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 and further including a control circuit coupled to said image array sensor for processing the image of the scene obtained from said image array sensor to generate a lane departure indication signal.

6. The imaging system of claim 1 and further including a control circuit coupled to said image array sensor for processing the image of the scene obtained from said image array sensor to control the speed of the vehicle.

7. A control system to control the headlamps of a vehicle comprising:

an image array sensor including a plurality of pixels, each said pixel operable to generate a signal indicative of the amount of light received on the pixel;

an optical system configured to image the scene forward of the controlled vehicle onto said image array sensor;

an analog to digital converter for quantizing said signals from said pixels into a digital value; and

a control circuit for processing the image of the scene obtained from said imaging system and for controlling the headlamps in response to objects detected in the processed scene, said control circuit including a memory including a plurality of allocated storage locations for storing said digital values from said analog to digital converter, wherein the number of allocated storage locations in said memory is less than the number of pixels in said image array sensor.

8. The headlamp control system of claim 7, wherein said control circuit generates a segment list identifying segments of adjacent ones of said pixels that generate a signal having a grayscale value above a threshold as the signals are received from said pixels.

9. The headlamp control system of claim 8, wherein said control circuit generates a list of white light sources in the imaged scene and a list of red light sources in the imaged scene based on information in said segment list.

10. The headlamp control system of claim 7, wherein said control circuit generates a list of objects in the imaged scene by linking adjacent pixels that generate signals having a grayscale value above a threshold as the pixels are received from said image array sensor.

11. The headlamp control system of claim 7, wherein said control circuit includes a first processor for processing the signals received from said image sensor, and a second processor coupled to said first processor for performing additional processing and for controlling the brightness of the headlamps.

12. The headlamp control system of claim 11, wherein said first processor generates a segment list identifying segments of adjacent ones of said pixels that generate a signal having a grayscale value above a threshold as the signals are received from said pixels.

13. The headlamp control system of claim 12, wherein said second processor receives the segment list from said first processor and identifies objects in the imaged scene based on information in said segment list.

14. The headlamp control system of claim 13, wherein said second processor generates a list of white light sources in the imaged scene and a list of red light sources in the imaged scene based on information in said segment list.

16. The headlamp control system of claim 15, wherein said control circuit generates a list of white light sources in the imaged scene and a list of red light sources in the imaged scene based on information in said segment list.

17. The headlamp control system of claim 16, wherein said control circuit includes a memory including a plurality of allocated storage locations for storing said digital values from said analog to digital converter, wherein the number of allocated storage locations in said memory is less than the number of pixels in said image array sensor.

19. The inside rearview mirror assembly of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of said control circuit is mounted in said mirror bezel.

20. The inside rearview mirror assembly of claim 18, wherein said control circuit includes a preprocessing component that identifies objects in the image obtained by the imaging system and that generates a list of objects and the relative brightness of the objects, and a control component that controls the brightness of the headlamps as a function of the identified objects and their brightness.

21. The inside rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said control component is coupled to said preprocessing component by a flex circuit.

22. The inside rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said preprocessing component is mounted to said mirror mount.

23. The inside rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said control component is mounted in said mirror bezel.

25. The imaging system of claim 24, wherein said control circuit further performs the function of controlling vehicle windshield wipers in response to information obtained from said image array sensor.

26. The imaging system of claim 24, wherein said control circuit further performs the function of controlling the vehicle climate control system in response to information obtained from said image array sensor.

27. The imaging system of claim 24, wherein said control circuit further performs the function of controlling the reflectivity of the vehicle rearview mirror.

28. The imaging system of claim 24, wherein said control circuit includes a single processor for performing said functions.

30. The imaging device of claim 29, wherein said multi-layer interference filter has a checkerboard pattern of alternating colored filters with a different color filter for each adjacent pixel.

31. The imaging device of claim 30, wherein said alternating colors are red and clear.

32. The imaging device of claim 29, wherein said multi-layer interference filter has a mosaic pattern of red, green, and blue color, with different colors for each adjacent pixel.

33. The imaging device of claim 29, wherein said multi-layer interference filter has a mosaic pattern of magenta, cyan, and yellow color, with different colors for each adjacent pixel.

34. The imaging device of claim 29, wherein said interference filters reflects undesired spectral bands of light.

15. A control system to control the headlamps of a vehicle comprising:

an image array sensor including a plurality of pixels, each said pixel operable to generate a signal indicative of the amount of light received on the pixel;

an optical system configured to image the scene forward of the controlled vehicle onto said image array sensor; and

a control circuit for processing the image of the scene obtained from said imaging system and for controlling the headlamps in response to objects detected in the processed scene, wherein said control circuit generates a segment list identifying segments of adjacent ones of said pixels that generate a signal having a grayscale value above a threshold as the signals are received from said pixels.

18. An inside rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mirror mount adapted to be mounted inside the vehicle in a location proximate to or on the front windshield of the vehicle;

a mirror bezel coupled to said mirror mount;

a mirror mounted in said mirror bezel;

an imaging system mounted to said mirror mount and configured to image the scene forward of the vehicle; and

a control circuit electrically coupled to said imaging system for processing the image of the scene obtained from said image array sensor and for performing a predetermined function in response to objects detected in the processed scene, wherein at least a portion of said control circuit is mounted to said mirror mount.

24. An imaging system for a vehicle comprising:

an image array sensor;

an optical system configured to image the scene forward of the controlled vehicle onto said image array sensor; and

a control circuit for coupling to said image array sensor for processing the image of the scene obtained from said image array sensor to control the vehicle headlamps in response to objects detected in the processed scene, said control circuit further processes the scene obtained from said image array sensor to perform at least one of the following functions;

(a) to generate a collision avoidance warning;

(b) to control the speed of the vehicle;

(c) to generate a lane departure indication signal; and

(d) to sense rain.

29. An imaging device for a vehicle comprising:

an image sensor having a plurality of pixels arranged in an array; and

a multi-layer interference filter disposed over said pixel array, said multi-layer interference filter being patterned so as to provide filters of different colors to neighboring pixels or groups of pixels.