Progressive Imaging System for Enhanced Machine Vision

• US 20190004531A1
• Filed: 07/03/2017
• Published: 01/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Viala, Pascal, Inonu, Mehmet
• Granted Patent: US 10,444,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/04 with continuous faces that are rotationally symmetrical but deviate from a true sphere , e.g. so called "aspheric" lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/10 Bifocal lenses; Multifocal lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00 Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vehicle control device has a control unit configured to adapt a plurality of vehicle systems in response to captured images of an environment external to the vehicle, a camera configured to capture images of the environment and communicate the captured images to the control unit, and a progressive lens coupled to the camera so as to focus the captured image over a continuous focus area.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, comprising:

a control unit configured to adapt a plurality of vehicle systems in response to captured images of an environment external to the vehicle;

a camera configured to capture images of the environment and communicate the captured images to the control unit; and

a progressive lens coupled to the camera so as to focus the captured image over a continuous focus area.

2. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to determine the presence of objects within the environment based on the captured images.

3. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vehicle systems include one or more of:

vehicle steering, vehicle braking, vehicle acceleration, vehicle navigation, and vehicle lighting systems.

4. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the progressive lens comprises a progressive focus area.

5. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the progressive lens comprises a near-focus area that focuses images of objects located within 0-10 meters.

6. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the progressive lens comprises a far-focus area that focuses images of objects located within 50-200 meters.

7. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the progressive lens comprises a mid-focus area that focuses images of objects located within 10-50 meters.

8. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the progressive lens comprises a near-focus area having a focal length of 5-20 millimeters.

9. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the progressive lens comprises a far-focus area having a focal length of 80-300 millimeters.

10. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the progressive lens comprises a mid-focus area having a focal length of 20-80 millimeters.

11. The vehicle control device of claim 1, wherein the camera includes an image sensor.

12. The vehicle control device of claim 11, wherein the image sensor is a single image sensor having a contiguous surface.

14. The vehicle control device of claim 11, wherein the image sensor includes a plurality of discontinuous image sensor surfaces.

15. The vehicle control device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of image sensor surfaces and the progressive lens are respectively configured such that the captured images are captured substantially in focus via the image sensor.

13. The vehicle control device of claim 13, wherein the image sensor surface and the progressive lens are respectively configured such that the captured images are captured substantially in focus via the image sensor.