DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE
First Claim
1. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, said driver assistance system comprising:
- a bracket attached at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said driver assistance system;
a housing mounted to said bracket;
an imager disposed in said housing;
said imager comprising (i) a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of photosensor elements and (ii) a lens;
wherein, with said housing mounted to said bracket attached at the vehicle windshield, said imager views to the exterior of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle at a region of the windshield that is swept by a windshield wiper of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data;
a control comprising an image processor;
wherein said image processor is disposed in said housing;
wherein said image processor comprises a digital signal processor;
wherein said driver assistance system identifies objects viewed by said imager via processing by said image processor of captured image data;
wherein a spectral filter is disposed between said photosensor array and said lens; and
wherein said spectral filter provides red spectral filtering at some of said photosensor elements and not at others of said photosensor elements.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A driver assistance system for a vehicle includes a bracket attached at a windshield of a vehicle and a housing mounted to the bracket and an imager disposed in the housing. The imager may include (i) a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of photosensor elements and/or (ii) a lens. With the housing mounted to the bracket attached at the vehicle windshield, the imager views to the exterior of the vehicle through the vehicle windshield at a region of the windshield that may be swept by a windshield wiper of the vehicle. The photosensor array is operable to capture image data. A control includes an image processor disposed in the housing. The image processor includes a digital signal processor. The driver assistance system identifies objects viewed by the imager via processing by the image processor of captured image data. A spectral filter may be disposed between the photosensor array and the lens.
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Citations
107 Claims
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1. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, said driver assistance system comprising:
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a bracket attached at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said driver assistance system; a housing mounted to said bracket; an imager disposed in said housing; said imager comprising (i) a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of photosensor elements and (ii) a lens; wherein, with said housing mounted to said bracket attached at the vehicle windshield, said imager views to the exterior of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle at a region of the windshield that is swept by a windshield wiper of the equipped vehicle; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data; a control comprising an image processor; wherein said image processor is disposed in said housing; wherein said image processor comprises a digital signal processor; wherein said driver assistance system identifies objects viewed by said imager via processing by said image processor of captured image data; wherein a spectral filter is disposed between said photosensor array and said lens; and wherein said spectral filter provides red spectral filtering at some of said photosensor elements and not at others of said photosensor elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, said driver assistance system comprising:
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a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of photosensor elements; wherein said photosensor array views to the exterior of a vehicle equipped with said driver assistance system, and wherein said photosensor array views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle at a region of the windshield that is swept by a windshield wiper of the equipped vehicle; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data; a control comprising an image processor; wherein said driver assistance system identifies objects viewed by said photosensor array via processing by said image processor of captured image data; wherein identification of objects is based at least in part on at least one of (i) shape, (ii) luminance, (iii) geometry, (iv) spatial location, (v) motion and (vi) spectral characteristic; wherein said driver assistance system identifies (a) headlights of approaching vehicles and (b) taillights of leading vehicles; and wherein said driver assistance system identifies lane markers on a road being traveled by the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, said driver assistance system comprising:
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a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of photosensor elements; wherein said photosensor array views to the exterior of a vehicle equipped with said driver assistance system, and wherein said photosensor array views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle at a region of the windshield that is swept by a windshield wiper of the equipped vehicle; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data; a control comprising an image processor; wherein said driver assistance system identifies objects viewed by said photosensor array via processing by said image processor of captured image data; wherein a red spectral filter is disposed in front of some of said photosensor elements and wherein a red spectral filter is not disposed in front of others of said photosensor elements; and wherein said photosensor array comprises at least 262,144 photosensor elements. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, said driver assistance system comprising:
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a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of photosensor elements; wherein said photosensor array views to the exterior of a vehicle equipped with said driver assistance system, and wherein said photosensor array views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle at a region of the windshield that is swept by a windshield wiper of the equipped vehicle; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data; a control comprising an image processor; wherein said driver assistance system identifies objects viewed by said photosensor array via processing by said image processor of captured image data; wherein said photosensor array comprises at least 262,144 photosensor elements; wherein a spectral filter is disposed between said photosensor array and a lens; wherein said photosensor array, said lens and said spectral filter are disposed in a housing that mounts via a bracket at the vehicle windshield; and wherein objects identified present forward of the equipped vehicle comprise at least one of (i) approaching headlights, (ii) leading taillights, (iii) lane markers, (iv) traffic signs, (v) traffic lights, (vi) stop signs and (vii) caution signs. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
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95. A driver assistance system for a vehicle, said driver assistance system comprising:
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a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of photosensor elements; wherein said photosensor array views to the exterior of a vehicle equipped with said driver assistance system, and wherein said photosensor array views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle at a region of the windshield that is swept by a windshield wiper of the equipped vehicle; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data; a control comprising an image processor; wherein said driver assistance system identifies objects viewed by said photosensor array via processing by said image processor of captured image data; wherein said photosensor array comprises at least 262,144 photosensor elements; and wherein said photosensor array is arranged in a matrix of columns of photosensor elements and rows of photosensor elements, and wherein at least one of (i) the number of columns exceeds 512 and (ii) the number of rows exceeds 512. - View Dependent Claims (96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107)
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Specification