Method for Evaluating Image Data of a Vehicle Camera Taking Into Account Information About Rain

• US 20150220792A1
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG), Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG), Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Strauss, Matthias, Komar, Matthias, Hegemann, Stefan, Kroekel, Dieter
• Granted Patent: US 9,508,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8053 for bad weather conditions or night vision
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for evaluating image data of a vehicle camera. Information about raindrops on a window within the field of view of the vehicle camera is taken into account in the evaluation of the image data.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating image data of a vehicle camera, where information about raindrops on a window within the field of view of the vehicle camera is taken into account in the evaluation of the image data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein information about lighting conditions is taken into account in the evaluation of the image data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information is determined from the image data of the vehicle camera.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the evaluation of the image data at least one criterion regarding a detection of edges in the image from the image data can be varied as a function of the information.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the evaluation of the image data a classification of objects is performed as a function of the information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a quality criterion of the image data is derived from the information, which is taken into account in the evaluation of the image data.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein from the information about raindrops on the window within the field of view of the vehicle camera a gush of water is detected and taken into account in the evaluation of the image data.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein from the information about raindrops on the window within the field of view of the vehicle camera it is taken into account in the evaluation of the image data that in individual images of an image sequence windshield wipers may overlap regions of the image.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein driver assistance functions are switched off if a minimum quality criterion of the image data is no longer met.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a speed limitation of an ACC is performed as a function of a quality criterion derived from the image data.