Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles

• US 20050023465A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Seekircher, Juergen, Eggers, Helmuth, Wohlgemuth, Thomas, Kurz, Gerhard
• Application Number:
  US10/897,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20050023465A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/330
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/30 providing vision in the non-visible spectrum, e.g. night or infrared vision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4816 of receivers alone
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for improving visibility in a motor vehicle. It includes a radiation source for illumination of the vehicle environment with infrared radiation, an infrared sensitive camera for detection of at least a portion of the illuminated vehicle environment and a display for depicting the image information detected by the camera. In accordance with the invention the camera is provided with a homogenous IR-filter, which exhibits various spectral transmission characteristics. The IR-filter exhibits a degree of transmission of about 1 in at least a partial range of the infrared spectrum. In the visual spectral region, the typical blocking effect of an IR-filter is 10⁻⁵ or less. In the visual spectrum the transmission of the IR-filter according to the invention is not continuous, and includes at least one narrow band transmissive region with a degree of transmissivity of approximately or greater than 10⁻³ for visible light. By this design of the device for improvement of visibility in a motor vehicle, a reliable detection of the environment is made possible, and thus it becomes possible to more reliably visualize the street traffic.

Claims

1. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles, including a radiation source for illumination of the vehicle environment with infrared radiation, an infrared sensitive camera for detection of at least a portion of the illuminated vehicle environment, and a homogenous IR-filter associated with the camera, that wherein the homogenous IR-filter exhibits, in at least a part of the range of the visual spectral region, a degree of transmission of 10⁻

3 or greater.

2. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the at least one partial range of the visual spectral region with a degree of transmission of 10⁻

3 or greater forms a narrow band spectral filter region.

3. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the homogenous IR-filter forms a narrow band spectral blocking region in at least a partial region of the visual spectral range, in which the transmission is significantly suppressed in relation to the other spectral regions.

4. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the IR-filter is an absorption filter.

5. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the IR-filter is a reflection filter.

6. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the IR-filter is a polarization filter.

7. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the IR-filter is a scatter filter.

8. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the IR-filter is integrated into the infrared sensitive camera.

9. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles according to claim 8, wherein the IR-filter is integrated into the lens of the camera.

10. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles according to claim 8, wherein the IR-filter is integrated directly into the chip of the camera.

11. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the IR-filter is a separate construction component outside of the camera.

12. A Device for improving visibility in motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the IR-filter is a combination of multiple filters.