Polarimetric detection of road signs
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An object identification system comprising:
- at least one processor;
a light source coupled to said at least one processor and configured to emit light towards a retroreflective object and a non-retroreflective object;
a first sensor coupled to said at least one processor, said first sensor configured to detect light having a first polarization orientation; and
a second sensor coupled to said at least one processor, said second sensor configured to detect light having a second polarization orientation substantially orthogonal to the first polarization orientation.
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Abstract
The present invention provides an object identification system including at least one processor; a light source coupled to the at least one processor and configured to emit light towards a retroreflective object and a non-retroreflective object; a first sensor coupled to the at least one processor, the first sensor configured to detect light having a first polarization orientation; and a second sensor coupled to the at least one processor, the second sensor configured to detect light having a second polarization orientation substantially orthogonal to the first polarization orientation.
18 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An object identification system comprising:
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at least one processor;
a light source coupled to said at least one processor and configured to emit light towards a retroreflective object and a non-retroreflective object;
a first sensor coupled to said at least one processor, said first sensor configured to detect light having a first polarization orientation; and
a second sensor coupled to said at least one processor, said second sensor configured to detect light having a second polarization orientation substantially orthogonal to the first polarization orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An object identification system comprising:
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at least one processor;
a light source coupled to said at least one processor, said light source configured to emit light towards a retroreflective object and a non-retroreflective object;
a sensor coupled to said at least one processor, said sensor configured to detect light reflected by the retroreflective object and light reflected by the non-retroreflective object. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of detecting an object comprising the steps of:
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emitting polarized light towards a retroreflective object and a non-retroreflective object;
filtering light reflected by the retroreflective object and the non-retroreflective object; and
detecting the reflected light having the same polarization orientation as the emitted light. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An object identification system comprising:
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at least one processor;
a light source coupled to said at least one processor and configured to emit light towards a retroreflective object and a non-retroreflective object;
a light detection device coupled to said at least one processor, said light detection device including a light splitting means configured to divide light having a first polarization orientation from light having a second polarization orientation substantially orthogonal to the first polarization orientation; and
a first sensor and a second sensor coupled to said light splitting means, said first sensor configured to detect light having the first polarization orientation and said second sensor configured to detect light having the second polarization orientation. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. In a traffic environment containing a non-retroreflective object and a retroreflective object containing text, an object identification system for use in a vehicle, the system comprising:
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a light source configured to emit light towards the retroreflective object and the non-retroreflective object, said light source including polarizing means configured to polarize the emitted light in a first polarization orientation;
a first sensor including a first sensor filter means configured to filter to said first sensor light having the first polarization orientation;
a second sensor including a second sensor filter means configured to filter to said second sensor light having a second polarization orientation substantially orthogonal to the first polarization orientation; and
at least one processor coupled to each of said light source, said first sensor and said second sensor, said at least one processor including memory storing software capable of being executed by said at least one processor to carry out the steps of;
instructing said first sensor to detect a first image and said second sensor to detect a second image, the first and second images having corresponding pixels that form regions when aligned;
performing at least one image extraction technique to extract the regions having a predetermined phase and partial polarization;
comparing the extracted regions to known characteristics of retroreflective objects; and
performing at least one image processing technique to read text on the retroreflective object. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification