VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM CAMERA WITH DUAL FILTER

• US 20160119527A1
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lu, Yuesheng, Shahid, Umer
• Application Number:
  US14/919,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119527A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 11/00 Filters or other obturators specially adapted for photographic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/03 Combinations of cameras with lighting apparatus; Flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/00 Colour photography, other than mere exposure or projection of a colour film printing apparatus G03B27/00; stereoscopic colour photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A vision system for a vehicle includes a camera having a field of view exterior of the vehicle when disposed thereat. The camera includes a lens and an imager. A filter is disposed at one of the lens and the imager. The filter (i) substantially passes visible light within a first spectral band of light, (ii) substantially passes near infrared light within a second spectral band of light, and (iii) substantially attenuates light within at least a third spectral band of light. The third spectral band of light is between the first and second spectral bands of light and the filter may substantially attenuate light within a spectral band of light having wavelengths greater than the wavelengths of the second spectral band of light. An image processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera.

Claims

1. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises a lens and an imager;

wherein said imager comprises a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

wherein said camera comprises a filter disposed at one of said lens and said imager, wherein said filter (i) substantially passes visible light within a first spectral band of light, (ii) substantially passes near infrared light within a second spectral band of light, and (iii) substantially attenuates light within a third spectral band of light;

wherein said first spectral band of light comprises light having a wavelength of between about 450 nm and about 650 nm, and wherein said second spectral band of light comprises light having a wavelength of between about 820 nm and about 880 nm, and wherein said third spectral band of light comprises light having a wavelength between said first and second spectral bands of light;

an illumination source operable to illuminate an area encompassed by the field of view of said camera, wherein said illumination source is operable to emit light having a wavelength within said second spectral band of light;

wherein, during daytime lighting conditions, said camera captures color images without use of said illumination source;

wherein, during nighttime lighting conditions, said illumination source is activated and said camera captures images of the area illuminated by said illumination source; and

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera.

2. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said camera and said illumination source are disposed at a side of the vehicle, and wherein said camera has at least a sideward field of view at the side of the vehicle.

3. The vision system of claim 2, comprising a second side camera and a second illumination source disposed at another side of the vehicle, wherein said second side camera includes a second filter that (i) substantially passes visible light within said first spectral band of light, (ii) substantially passes near infrared light within said second spectral band of light, and (iii) substantially attenuates light within at least said third spectral band of light.

4. The vision system of claim 2, comprising a plurality of other cameras, wherein said other cameras are disposed at the vehicle so as to have respective fields of view forward, rearward or inward of the vehicle.

5. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said camera further comprises a pixelated filter array disposed at said imager that filters spectral bands of light at individual ones of said photosensing elements.

6. The vision system of claim 5, wherein said pixelated filter array comprises an RCCC filter array and wherein said RCCC filter array comprises red filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements and clear filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements.

7. The vision system of claim 5, wherein said pixelated filter array comprises an RGB filter array and wherein said RGB filter array comprises red filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements and green filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements and blue filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements.

8. The vision system of claim 5, wherein said pixelated filter array comprises a red/red complement filter array and wherein said red/red complement filter array comprises red filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements and red complement filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements.

9. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said third spectral band of light comprises light having a wavelength between about 680 nm and about 800 nm.

10. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said filter substantially attenuates light having a wavelength of greater than about 900 nm.

11. The vision system of claim 1, wherein said filter (i) passes at least about 60 percent of visible light within said first spectral band of light, (ii) passes at least about 60 percent of near infrared light within said second spectral band of light, and (iii) passes less than about 30 percent of light within said third spectral band of light.

12. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises a lens and an imager;

wherein said imager comprises a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

wherein said camera comprises a pixelated filter array disposed at said imager that filters spectral bands of light at individual ones of said photosensing elements;

wherein said camera comprises a dual pass filter disposed at one of said lens and said imager, wherein said dual pass filter (i) passes at least about 60 percent of visible light within a first spectral band of light, (ii) passes at least about 60 percent of near infrared light within a second spectral band of light, and (iii) passes less than about 30 percent of light within a third spectral band of light;

wherein said first spectral band of light comprises light having a wavelength of between about 450 nm and about 650 nm, and wherein said second spectral band of light comprises light having a wavelength of between about 820 nm and about 880 nm, and wherein said third spectral band of light comprises light having a wavelength between said first and second spectral bands of light; and

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera.

13. The vision system of claim 12, comprising a second camera configured to be disposed at the vehicle so as to have a second field of view exterior of the vehicle, wherein said second camera includes a second dual pass filter that (i) passes at least about 60 percent of visible light within said first spectral band of light, (ii) passes at least about 60 percent of near infrared light within said second spectral band of light, and (iii) passes less than about 30 percent of light within said third spectral band of light.

14. The vision system of claim 12, wherein said pixelated filter array comprises a filter array selected from the group consisting of (i) an RCCC filter array and wherein said RCCC filter array comprises red filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements and clear filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements, (ii) an RGB filter array and wherein said RGB filter array comprises red filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements and green filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements and blue filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements, and (iii) a red/red complement filter array and wherein said red/red complement filter array comprises red filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements and red complement filter elements disposed at respective individual ones of said photosensing elements.

15. The vision system of claim 12, wherein said third spectral band of light comprises light having a wavelength between about 680 nm and about 800 nm.

16. The vision system of claim 12, wherein said filter substantially attenuates light having a wavelength of greater than about 900 nm.

17. A vision system of a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises a lens and an imager;

wherein said imager comprises a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements;

wherein said camera comprises a pixelated filter array disposed at said imager that filters spectral bands of light at individual ones of said photosensing elements;

wherein said camera comprises a dual pass filter disposed at one of said lens and said imager, wherein said dual pass filter (i) substantially passes visible light within a first spectral band of light, (ii) substantially passes near infrared light within a second spectral band of light, and (iii) substantially attenuates light within a third spectral band of light;

wherein said first spectral band of light comprises light having a wavelength of between about 450 nm and about 650 nm, and wherein said second spectral band of light comprises light having a wavelength of between about 820 nm and about 880 nm, and wherein said third spectral band of light comprises light having a wavelength between said first and second spectral bands of light;

wherein said dual pass filter substantially attenuates light having a wavelength greater than about 900 nm; and

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera.

18. The vision system of claim 17, comprising an illumination source operable to illuminate an area encompassed by the field of view of said camera, wherein said illumination source is operable to emit light having a wavelength within said second spectral band of light, and wherein, during daytime lighting conditions, said camera captures color images without use of said illumination source, and wherein, during nighttime lighting conditions, said illumination source is activated and said camera captures images of the area illuminated by said illumination source.

19. The vision system of claim 17, comprising a second side camera configured to be disposed at the vehicle so as to have a second field of view exterior of the vehicle, wherein said second camera includes a second dual pass filter that (i) substantially passes visible light within said first spectral band of light, (ii) substantially passes near infrared light within said second spectral band of light, (iii) substantially attenuates light within said third spectral band of light, and (iv) substantially attenuates light having a wavelength greater than about 900 nm.

20. The vision system of claim 17, wherein said dual pass filter (i) passes at least about 60 percent of visible light within said first spectral band of light, (ii) passes at least about 60 percent of near infrared light within said second spectral band of light, (iii) passes less than about 30 percent of light within said third spectral band of light, and (iv) passes less than about 30 percent of light having a wavelength greater than about 900 nm.