Vehicular monitoring systems using image processing
First Claim
1. A monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment exterior of a vehicle, comprising:
- at least one receiver arranged to receive waves from the environment exterior of the vehicle which contain information on any objects in the environment and generate a signal characteristic of the received waves; and
a processor coupled to said at least one receiver and comprising pattern recognition means for processing the signal to provide a classification, identification or location of the exterior object, said pattern recognition means being structured and arranged to apply a pattern recognition algorithm generated from data of possible exterior objects and patterns of received waves from the possible exterior objects;
whereby a system in the vehicle is coupled to said processor such that the operation the system is affected in response to the classification, identification or location of the exterior object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Vehicular monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment of the vehicle including at least one active pixel camera for obtaining images of the environment of the vehicle and a processor coupled to the active pixel camera(s) for determining at least one characteristic of an object in the environment based on the images obtained by the active pixel camera(s). The active pixel camera can be arranged in a headliner, roof or ceiling of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle, in an A-pillar or B-pillar of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle, or in a roof, ceiling, B-pillar or C-pillar of the vehicle to obtain images of an interior environment of the vehicle behind a front seat of the vehicle. The determined characteristic can be used to enable optimal control of a reactive component, system or subsystem coupled to the processor. When the reactive component is an airbag assembly including at least one airbag, the processor can be designed to control at least one deployment parameter of the airbag(s).
119 Citations
85 Claims
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1. A monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment exterior of a vehicle, comprising:
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at least one receiver arranged to receive waves from the environment exterior of the vehicle which contain information on any objects in the environment and generate a signal characteristic of the received waves; and
a processor coupled to said at least one receiver and comprising pattern recognition means for processing the signal to provide a classification, identification or location of the exterior object, said pattern recognition means being structured and arranged to apply a pattern recognition algorithm generated from data of possible exterior objects and patterns of received waves from the possible exterior objects;
whereby a system in the vehicle is coupled to said processor such that the operation the system is affected in response to the classification, identification or location of the exterior object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment exterior of a vehicle, comprising:
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at least one CCD array positioned to obtain images of the environment exterior of the vehicle; and
a processor coupled to said at least one CCD array and comprising pattern recognition means for processing the images obtained by said at least one CCD array to provide a classification, identification or location of the exterior object, whereby a system in the vehicle is coupled to said processor such that the operation the system is affected in response to the classification, identification or location of the exterior object. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A vehicle including a monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment exterior of the vehicle, the monitoring arrangement comprising:
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at least one receiver arranged on a rear view mirror of the vehicle to receive waves from the environment exterior of the vehicle which contain information on any objects in the environment and generate a signal characteristic of the received waves; and
a processor coupled to said at least one receiver and arranged to classify, identify or locate the exterior object based on the signal;
whereby a system in the vehicle is coupled to said processor such that the operation the system is affected in response to the classification, identification or location of the exterior object. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment exterior of a vehicle, comprising:
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a plurality of receivers arranged apart from one another and to receive waves from the environment exterior of the vehicle which contain information on any objects in the environment and generate a signal characteristic of the received waves; and
a processor coupled to said receivers and arranged to classify, identify or locate the exterior object based on the signals generated by said receivers, whereby a system in the vehicle is coupled to said processor such that the operation of the system is affected in response to the classification, identification or location of the exterior object. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A vehicle including a monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment exterior of the vehicle, the monitoring arrangement comprising:
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at least one receiver arranged on a B-pillar of the vehicle to receive waves from the environment exterior of and on the side of the vehicle which contain information on any objects in the environment and generate a signal characteristic of the received waves; and
a processor coupled to said at least one receiver and arranged to classify, identify or locate the exterior object based on the signal;
whereby a system in the vehicle is coupled to said processor such that the operation the system is affected in response to the classification, identification or location of the exterior object.
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53. A vehicle including a monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment exterior of the vehicle, the monitoring arrangement comprising:
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at least one receiver arranged in a door window trim panel of the vehicle to receive waves from the environment exterior of the vehicle which contain information on any objects in the environment and generate a signal characteristic of the received waves; and
a processor coupled to said at least one receiver and arranged to classify, identify or locate the exterior object based on the signal;
whereby a system in the vehicle is coupled to said processor such that the operation the system is affected in response to the classification, identification or location of the exterior object.
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54. A vehicle including a monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment exterior of the vehicle, the monitoring arrangement comprising:
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at least one receiver arranged on a rear view mirror of the vehicle to receive waves from the environment exterior of the vehicle which contain information on any objects in the environment and generate a signal characteristic of the received waves;
a processor coupled to said at least one receiver and arranged to classify, identify or locate the exterior object based on the signal; and
a display viewable by the driver;
said display being coupled to said processor such that the presence and classification, identification or location of the exterior object is displayed on said display.
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55. A vehicle including a monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment exterior of the vehicle, the monitoring arrangement comprising:
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at least one receiver arranged to receive waves from the environment exterior of the vehicle which contain information on any objects in the environment and generate a signal characteristic of the received waves; and
a processor coupled to said at least one receiver and comprising pattern recognition means for processing the signal to provide a classification, identification or location of the exterior object, said pattern recognition means being structured and arranged to apply a pattern recognition algorithm generated from data of possible exterior objects and patterns of received waves from the possible exterior objects;
whereby a system in the vehicle is coupled to said processor such that the operation the system is affected in response to the classification, identification or location of the exterior object. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A vehicle including a monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment exterior of the vehicle, the monitoring arrangement comprising:
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at least one CCD array positioned to obtain images of the environment exterior of the vehicle; and
a processor coupled to said at least one CCD array and comprising pattern recognition means for processing the images obtained by said at least one CCD array to provide a classification, identification or location of the exterior object, whereby a system in the vehicle is coupled to said processor such that the operation the system is affected in response to the classification, identification or location of the exterior object. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. A vehicle including a monitoring arrangement for monitoring an environment exterior of the vehicle, the monitoring arrangement comprising:
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a plurality of receivers arranged apart from one another and to receive waves from the environment exterior of the vehicle which contain information on any objects in the environment and generate a signal characteristic of the received waves; and
a processor coupled to said receivers and arranged to classify, identify or locate the exterior object based on the signals generated by said receivers, whereby a system in the vehicle is coupled to said processor such that the operation of the system is affected in response to the classification, identification or location of the exterior object. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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Specification