VEHICLE OPTICAL SENSOR SYSTEM

• US 20120314069A1
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: TAYLOR, RONALD M.
• Application Number:
  US13/155,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20120314069A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures

Abstract

An optical sensor system adapted for use on a vehicle including a plurality of optoelectronic devices and a single high efficiency first lens. The optical sensor system is positioned on the vehicle to view a field of view about the vehicle. The optical sensor system may provide multiple independent video signals to multiple vehicle warning and control systems. Each video signal that is generated by each optoelectronic device may be optimized for a specific vehicle warning or control system by using additional second lenses to change the field of view, optical filters to change the spectral sensitivity, and/or independent exposure times to change the light sensitivity or dynamic range. The optoelectronic devices may be optoelectronic dies or cores, such as those used in wafer level cameras.

Claims

1. An optical sensor system adapted for use on a vehicle, said optical sensor system comprising:

a first lens positioned on the vehicle to observe a field of view about the vehicle, said first lens characterized as defining a focal plane; and

a plurality of optoelectronic devices arranged about the focal plane, wherein said plurality of optoelectronic devices includes a first optoelectronic device operable to generate a first video signal indicative of a first image corresponding to first portion of the field of view, and a second optoelectronic device operable to generate a second video signal of a second image corresponding to a second portion of the field of view.

2. The optical sensor system of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor system further comprises a second lens interposed between the second optoelectronic device and the first lens, said second lens is adapted to change the second image to a third portion of the field of view distinct from the second portion.

3. The optical sensor system of claim 2, wherein the second lens is characterized as having optical distortion correction features.

4. The optical sensor system of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor system further comprises an aperture interposed between the first optoelectronic device and the first lens.

5. The optical sensor system of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor system further comprises an optical filter interposed between the first optoelectronic device and the first lens.

6. The optical sensor system of claim 5, wherein the optical filter comprises a wavelength filter.

7. The optical sensor system of claim 5, wherein the optical filter comprises a polarizing filter.

8. The optical sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first optoelectronic device is characterized as having a first exposure time and the second optoelectronic device is characterized as having a second exposure time independent of the first exposure time.

9. The optical sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first optoelectronic device is configured to be sensitive to a first light wavelength range and the second optoelectronic device is configured to be sensitive to a second light wavelength range independent of the first light wavelength range.

10. The optical sensor system of claim 9, wherein the first light wavelength range corresponds to a visible light wavelength range and the second light wavelength range corresponds to an infrared light wavelength range.

11. The optical sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first optoelectronic device comprises an optoelectronic die.

12. The optical sensor system of claim 1, wherein the first video signal is processed independent of the second video signal.

13. The optical sensor system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of optoelectronic devices are coplanar.

14. The optical sensor system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of optoelectronic devices are substantially parallel and noncoplanar.