VEHICULAR VISION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
- a photosensor array comprising a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in a predefined arrangement;
said photosensor array having a field of view forward of the vehicle that is generally in line with the vehicle'"'"'s primary direction of forward travel;
wherein said photosensor array is disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle and has a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle at a windshield area that is swept by the windshield wipers;
a portion of said photosensor array capturing image data representative of at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle and within said forward field of view;
a control responsive to an output of said photosensor array;
wherein said control comprises a logic and control circuit;
wherein said logic and control circuit comprises an image processor, said image processor processing at least said image data;
said control analyzing said image data so as to determine at least one of (a) presence of said at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle, (b) size of said at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle, (c) shape of said at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle, (d) contour of said at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle and (e) motion of said at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle; and
wherein, at least responsive to said control analyzing said image data, said image sensing system senses the presence of an object within the field of view of said photosensor array, and wherein said image sensing system, responsive at least in part to said image sensing system sensing the presence of said object, at least one of (i) controls a vehicle system using forward field of view information and (ii) supplements control of a vehicle system using forward field of view information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular vision system includes a photosensor array having a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle. A portion of the photosensor array captures image data representative of an item of interest exterior the vehicle and within the forward field of view. A control is responsive to an output of the photosensor array and includes an image processor for processing the image data. At least responsive to the control analyzing the image data, the image sensing system senses the presence of an object within the field of view of the photosensor array, and the image sensing system, responsive at least in part to sensing the presence of the object, at least one of (i) controls a vehicle system using forward field of view information and (ii) supplements control of a vehicle system using forward field of view information.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
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a photosensor array comprising a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in a predefined arrangement; said photosensor array having a field of view forward of the vehicle that is generally in line with the vehicle'"'"'s primary direction of forward travel; wherein said photosensor array is disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle and has a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle at a windshield area that is swept by the windshield wipers; a portion of said photosensor array capturing image data representative of at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle and within said forward field of view; a control responsive to an output of said photosensor array; wherein said control comprises a logic and control circuit; wherein said logic and control circuit comprises an image processor, said image processor processing at least said image data; said control analyzing said image data so as to determine at least one of (a) presence of said at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle, (b) size of said at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle, (c) shape of said at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle, (d) contour of said at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle and (e) motion of said at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle; and wherein, at least responsive to said control analyzing said image data, said image sensing system senses the presence of an object within the field of view of said photosensor array, and wherein said image sensing system, responsive at least in part to said image sensing system sensing the presence of said object, at least one of (i) controls a vehicle system using forward field of view information and (ii) supplements control of a vehicle system using forward field of view information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
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a photosensor array comprising a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in a predefined arrangement; said photosensor array having a field of view forward of the vehicle that is generally in line with the vehicle'"'"'s primary direction of forward travel; wherein said photosensor array is disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle and has a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle at a windshield area that is swept by the windshield wipers; wherein a lens images light onto said photosensor array; a portion of said photosensor array capturing image data representative of at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle and within said forward field of view; a control responsive to an output of said photosensor array; wherein said control comprises an image processor, said image processor processing at least said image data; wherein said control analyzes said image data and wherein, at least responsive to said control analyzing said image data, said image sensing system senses the presence of an object within the field of view of said photosensor array, and wherein said image sensing system, responsive at least in part to said image sensing system sensing the presence of said object, at least one of (i) controls a vehicle system using forward field of view information and (ii) supplements control of a vehicle system using forward field of view information; wherein said image processor (i) receives said image data output from said photosensor array, (ii) compares the received image data with stored data, and (iii) outputs a vehicle equipment control signal based on the comparison; and wherein said control, responsive to said image processing, generates at least one control output for controlling at least one vehicular light of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
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a photosensor array comprising a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in a predefined arrangement; said photosensor array having a field of view forward of the vehicle that is generally in line with the vehicle'"'"'s primary direction of forward travel; wherein said photosensor array is disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle and has a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle at a windshield area that is swept by the windshield wipers; said photosensor array capturing image data within said forward field of view; a control responsive to an output of said photosensor array; wherein said control comprises an image processor, said image processor processing at least said image data; wherein said control analyzes said image data and wherein, at least responsive to said control analyzing said image data, said image sensing system senses the presence of an object within the field of view of said photosensor array, and wherein said image sensing system, responsive at least in part to said image sensing system sensing the presence of said object, at least one of (i) controls a vehicle system using forward field of view information and (ii) supplements control of a vehicle system using forward field of view information; wherein said control analyzes said image data so as to determine motion of said object exterior the vehicle within the field of view of said photosensor array; and wherein said control, responsive to said image processing, generates at least one control output for controlling at least one vehicular light of the vehicle, and wherein said at least one vehicular light comprises a headlight disposed at a front portion of the vehicle and operable to illuminate with visible light a scene forward of and in the path of travel of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
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a photosensor array comprising a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in a predefined arrangement; said photosensor array having a field of view forward of the vehicle that is generally in line with the vehicle'"'"'s primary direction of forward travel; wherein said photosensor array is disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle and has a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle at a windshield area that is swept by the windshield wipers; a portion of said photosensor array capturing image data representative of at least one item of interest exterior the vehicle and within said forward field of view; a control responsive to an output of said photosensor array; wherein said control comprises an image processor, said image processor processing at least said image data; wherein said control analyzes said image data and wherein, at least responsive to said control analyzing said image data, said image sensing system senses the presence of an object within the field of view of said photosensor array, and wherein said image sensing system, responsive at least in part to said image sensing system sensing the presence of said object, at least one of (i) controls a vehicle system using forward field of view information and (ii) supplements control of a vehicle system using forward field of view information; and wherein said control analyzes image data from particular photosensor elements of said photosensor array while ignoring other photosensor elements of said photosensor array. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification