Optoelectronic monitoring device for a motor vehicle

• US 20050057364A1
• Filed: 09/06/2001
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Weber, Thomas, Blasing, Frank, Mindl, Anton
• Granted Patent: US 6,975,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/602
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera

Abstract

A motor vehicle optoelectronic monitoring device includes a sensor, imaging systems, a shutter, and a controller. Each sensor element outputs a sensor element signal based on the intensity of a light signal received by the sensor element. Each imaging system is associated with a sensor region and illuminates an object to monitor the object. Two sensor regions associated with two respective imaging systems partially overlap one another. Each imaging system illuminates the sensor elements of the associated sensor region with a light signal indicative of the object being monitored. The controller controls the shutter unit to selectively enable and disable illumination of the sensor by the imaging systems. The controller processes the sensor element electric signals output by the sensor elements in response to illumination by an imaging system to determine conditions of the object being monitored by the imaging system.

Claims

1. An optoelectronic monitoring device for a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

a sensor having a plurality of sensor elements, wherein each sensor element outputs a sensor element electric signal as a function of the intensity of a light signal received by the sensor element;

a plurality of imaging systems each being operable for illuminating a respective object in order to monitor the respective object, wherein each imaging system is associated with a region of the sensor, wherein at least two sensor regions associated with at least two respective imaging systems partially overlap one another, wherein each imaging system illuminates the sensor elements of the associated sensor region with an imaging system light signal indicative of the respective object being monitored;

a shutter unit arranged between the plurality of imaging systems and the sensor for enabling and disabling illumination of the sensor by the plurality of imaging systems; and

a controller for controlling the shutter unit to selectively enable and disable illumination of the sensor by the plurality of imaging systems, wherein the controller processes the sensor element electric signals output by the sensor elements in response to illumination by an imaging system in order to determine conditions of the object being monitored by the imaging system.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the controller controls the shutter unit electrically by electro-optical means.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the sensor elements are arranged in a two-dimensional array.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the size of the sensor is determined by the largest sensor region associated with an imaging system, wherein the sensor regions associated with the other imaging systems are contained within the largest sensor region.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the shutter unit is a liquid-crystal shutter unit.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the shutter unit is an electro-chromic shutter unit.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the shutter units includes a plurality of shutter fields each associated with a respective imaging system, wherein the shutter fields are operable between an on position for enabling the associated imaging systems to illuminate the sensor and an off position for disabling the associated imaging systems from illuminating the sensor.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the controller controls an actuator associated with an object being monitored by an imaging system as a function of the determined conditions of the object.