In-vehicle camera apparatus enabling recognition of tail lamp of distant preceding vehicle
First Claim
1. An in-vehicle camera apparatus for installation on a motor vehicle, comprising a Bayer array of R (red-sensitive), G (green-sensitive) and B (blue-sensitive) pixel sensors and a lens assembly configured for focusing upon said Bayer array an incident light beam from an external light source;
- wherein said in-vehicle camera apparatus comprises a beam-splitting optical filter disposed between said lens assembly and said Bayer color sensor array, for splitting said incident light beam into a plurality of polarized light beams, with respective axes of said polarized light beams oriented for incidence on respectively separate ones of said R pixel sensors, G pixel sensors and B pixel sensors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A camera apparatus installated on a vehicle includes an image sensor having a RGB Bayer array of pixel sensors and a beam-splitting optical filter disposed between the camera lens assembly and the Bayer array. An incident light beam from a source such as a distant vehicle tail lamp becomes split into a plurality of light beams which become focused on respectively separate pixel sensors. Since the color of the light source is detected based on a plurality of pixel sensors, erroneous detection due to light falling on only a single R, G or B pixel sensor is prevented.
31 Citations
13 Claims
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1. An in-vehicle camera apparatus for installation on a motor vehicle, comprising a Bayer array of R (red-sensitive), G (green-sensitive) and B (blue-sensitive) pixel sensors and a lens assembly configured for focusing upon said Bayer array an incident light beam from an external light source;
wherein said in-vehicle camera apparatus comprises a beam-splitting optical filter disposed between said lens assembly and said Bayer color sensor array, for splitting said incident light beam into a plurality of polarized light beams, with respective axes of said polarized light beams oriented for incidence on respectively separate ones of said R pixel sensors, G pixel sensors and B pixel sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13)
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12. An in-vehicle camera apparatus for installation on a motor vehicle, comprising a Bayer array of R (red-sensitive), G (green-sensitive) and B (blue-sensitive) pixel sensors and a lens assembly configured for focusing upon said Bayer array an incident light beam from an external light source;
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wherein said in-vehicle camera apparatus comprises a beam-splitting optical filter disposed between said lens and said Bayer color sensor array, for splitting said incident light beam into a plurality of polarized light beams, with respective axes of said polarized light beams oriented for incidence on respectively separate ones of said R pixel sensors, G pixel sensors and B pixel sensors, said beam-splitting optical filter comprising; a first polarizing beam splitter, having an optic axis oriented for splitting said incident light beam into a first linearly polarized beam and a second linearly polarized beam with respective axes thereof vertically displaced from one another and having respective polarization directions which differ by 90 degrees; an optical quarter-wave plate disposed between said first polarizing beam splitter and said second polarizing beam splitter, for converting said first linearly polarized beam and said second linearly polarized beam to a first circularly polarized beam and a second circularly polarized beam respectively; and a second polarizing beam splitter, having an optic axis oriented for splitting said first circularly polarized beam into a third linearly polarized beam and a fourth linearly polarized beam with respective axes thereof horizontally displaced from one another and having respective polarization directions which differ by 90 degrees, and for splitting said second circularly polarized beam into a fifth linearly polarized beam and a sixth linearly polarized beam with respective axes thereof horizontally displaced from one another and having respective polarization directions which differ by 90 degrees.
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Specification