Method for determining windshield condition and an improved vehicle imaging system

• US 20070182816A1
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fox, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/118
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0837 with a particular arrangement of the optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0862 including additional sensors vehicle speed sensors B60S1/0896
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/157 Monitoring by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/15 Preventing contamination of the components of the optical system or obstruction of the light path
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/958 Inspecting transparent materials or objects, e.g. windscreens for conveyed flat sheet or rod G01N21/896
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0075 having an element with variable optical properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/004 based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/005 based on electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length

Abstract

An imaging system for use in a vehicle is disclosed wherein the imaging system images an object spaced apart from the vehicle in a first configuration and images an object supported by the vehicle in a second configuration. The imaging system may include a fluid lens. An imaging system for use in a vehicle is disclosed wherein the imaging system has a first configuration corresponding to a first imaging application and a second configuration corresponding to a second imaging application. The imaging system may include a fluid lens.

Claims

1. An imaging system for use with a vehicle, the vehicle including a window through which light is transmitted, the imaging system comprising:

a detector which provides an image of the light transmitted through the window;

imaging optics having a first configuration wherein an object spaced apart from the vehicle is imaged onto the detector and a second configuration wherein at least a portion of the window is imaged onto the detector; and

a controller operably coupled to the imaging optics, the controller configured to adjust the imaging optics to place the imaging optics in the first configuration to image the object spaced apart from the vehicle and further configured to adjust the imaging optics to place the imaging optics in the second configuration to image the portion of the window.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein a relative placement of the imaging optics remains constant as the imaging optics are adjusted between the first configuration and the second configuration.

3. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the imaging optics includes a variable focus lens.

4. The imaging system of claim 3, wherein a shape of the variable focus lens is adjusted by the controller, the variable focus lens having a first shape corresponding to the first configuration of the imaging optics and a second shape corresponding to the second configuration of the imaging optics.

5. The imaging system of claim 4, wherein the controller executes instructions to adjust the shape of the variable focus lens to the second shape and to analyze an image of the window to determine a condition of the window.

6. The imaging system of claim 5, wherein the controller further executes instructions to provide an indication to a driver of the vehicle if the condition of the window is other than acceptable.

7. The imaging system of claim 5, wherein the controller further executes instructions to adjust the shape of the variable focus lens to the first shape and to execute an imaging application wherein one or more images of the object spaced apart from the vehicle are analyzed.

8. The imaging system of claim 7, wherein the controller maintains the variable focus lens in the first shape until the imaging application malfunctions whereat the controller adjusts the shape of the variable focus lens to the second shape to analyze an image of the window to determine a condition of the window.

9. The imaging system of claim 8, wherein the image of the window is compared to at least one reference image of the window to determine the condition of the window.

10. The imaging system of claim 8, wherein the controller further executes instructions to provide a first indication to a driver of the vehicle if the condition of the window is other than acceptable and to provide a second indication to the driver of the vehicle if the condition of the window is acceptable, the second indication indicating the imaging application requires maintenance.

11. The imaging system of claim 7, wherein the controller alternates the imaging optics between the first configuration and the second configuration, one or more images of the object being spaced apart from the vehicle being detected by the detector while the imaging optics are in the first configuration and one or more images of the window being detected by the detector while the imaging optics are in the second configuration.

12. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the imaging optics are placed in a third configuration by the controller to image a second portion of the window.

13. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the variable focus lens is a fluid lens.

14. The imaging system of claim 13, wherein the shape of the variable focus lens is adjusted by adjusting a voltage applied to a fluid of the variable focus lens.

15. An imaging system for use with a vehicle, the vehicle including a window through which light is transmitted, the imaging system comprising:

a detector which provides an image of the light transmitted through the window;

imaging optics having a first configuration wherein a first object spaced apart from the vehicle is imaged onto the detector and a second configuration wherein a second object supported by the vehicle is imaged onto the detector; and

a controller operably coupled to the imaging optics, the controller configured to adjust the imaging optics to place the imaging optics in the first configuration to image the first object and further configured to adjust the imaging optics to place the imaging optics in the second configuration to image the second object.

16. The imaging system of claim 15, wherein a relative placement of the imaging optics remains constant as the imaging optics are adjusted between the first configuration and the second configuration.

17. The imaging system of claim 16, wherein the second object is an object placed on a dashboard of the vehicle.

18. The imaging system of claim 17, wherein the variable focus lens is a fluid lens.

19. An imaging system for use with a vehicle, the vehicle including a window through which light is transmitted, the imaging system comprising:

a detector which provides an image of the light transmitted through the window;

imaging optics including a variable focus lens positioned to focus light on the detector, the imaging optics having a first configuration corresponding to a first imaging application analyzing one or more objects spaced apart from the vehicle and having a second configuration corresponding to a second imaging application analyzing one or more objects spaced apart from the vehicle; and

a controller operably coupled to the variable focus lens, the controller configured to adjust a shape the variable focus lens, wherein the first imaging configuration corresponds to a first shape of the variable focus lens and the second imaging configuration corresponds to a second shape of the variable focus lens.

20. The imaging system of claim 19 wherein the controller adjusts the shape of the variable focus lens to a third shape wherein the imaging optics are configured to image the window of the vehicle.

21. The imaging system of claim 19, wherein the controller adjusts the shape of the variable focus lens to a third shape wherein the imaging optics are configured to image a dashboard of the vehicle.

22. The imaging system of claim 19, wherein the variable focus lens is a fluid lens.

23. A method for detecting problems with an imaging system for a vehicle, the imaging system looking at a scene through a window of the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a degraded optical quality of the window with an optical system having a variable focus lens; and

alerting a driver of the vehicle of the degraded optical quality of the window.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of identifying the degraded optical quality of the window includes the steps of:

adjusting a focal length of the variable focus lens of the optical system to image at least a portion of the window; and

detecting an unacceptable condition of the window based on an analysis of an image of the window.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of alerting the driver of the vehicle of the degraded optical quality of the window includes the step of providing an indication with a visual indicator to the driver of the vehicle of the degraded optical quality of the window.

26. A method for detecting problems with an imaging system for a vehicle, the imaging system looking at a scene through a window of the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

imaging the scene with the imaging system;

adjusting the imaging system to image at least a portion of the window;

imaging the at least a portion of the window; and

analyzing the imaged portion of the window to detect if a degraded optical quality of the window is present.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the imaging system includes at least one variable focus lens.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of adjusting the imaging system to image at least a portion of the window to detect if a degraded optical quality of the window is present includes the step of altering a shape of the variable focus lens.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of alerting a driver of the vehicle of the degraded optical quality of the window if the degraded optical quality of the window is present.