Object recognizing device

• US 6,067,110 A
• Filed: 07/03/1996
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Saitou, Yoshimitsu, Yokoyama, Seiichi, Abe, Masaaki, Nonaka, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Bryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, TUNG T
• Application Number:
  US08/675,163
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 348/164, 348/162, 348/118-123, 348/31, 348/33, 348/67, 348/148, 348/149, 340/903, 340/435, 340/436, 340/937, 340/932.2, 340/904, 340/32, 340/33, 340/34, 250/208.1, 250/559.44, 250/559.07, 250/559.08, 256/4
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/52 for indicating emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/005 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/006 using a distance sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An object recognizing device for recognizing an object by transmitting laser light from a laser light source and receiving reflected light from the object by a light sensor, wherein the laser light source and the light sensor are disposed at a relative vertical distance of not less than 20 cm therebetween with a divergence angle θ₁ of the laser radiation emitted from the laser light source being set at a value of not more than 5 mrad and being smaller than an angle α formed between an optical axis of the laser light and an optical axis of the reflected light entering into the light sensor, and which is, therefore, capable of effectively recognizing any object even in an atmosphere containing aerosol, e.g., fog or haze.

Claims

1. An object recognizing device for recognizing an object by transmitting laser light from a laser light source and receiving reflected light from the object by a light sensor, wherein the laser light source and the light sensor are so relatively arranged that a divergence angle θ

₁ of the laser light emitted from the laser light source is not more than 5 mrad and smaller than an angle α

formed between an optical axis of the laser light and an optical axis of the reflected light entering into the light sensor.

2. An object recognizing device for recognizing an object by transmitting illuminating light from an illumination light source and receiving reflected light from the object by a light sensor, wherein the illuminating light source and the light sensor are so relatively arranged that a divergence angle θ

₁ of not more than 5 mrad illuminating light emitted from the illumination light source and a divergence angle θ

₂ of reflected light entering into the light sensor are smaller than an angle α

formed between an optical axis of the illuminating light and an optical axis of the reflected light.

3. An object recognizing device for recognizing an object by transmitting illuminating light from an illumination light source and receiving reflected light from the object by a light sensor, wherein the illumination light source and the light sensor are so relatively arranged that a divergence angle θ

₁ of not more than 5 mrad illuminating light emitted from the illuminating light source is smaller than an angle α

formed between an optical axis of the illuminating light and an optical axis of the reflected light.

4. An object recognizing device for recognizing an object from a picked-up image of an area illuminated by an illuminating light source, including a first camera for taking an image of an area illuminated by the illumination light source, a second camera for taking an image in the same direction as the first camera but in a different sensitive range of wavelengths, and an image synthesizing means for synthesizing the two images taken by the first camera and the second camera respectively, and wherein the illumination light source and the first camera are so relatively arranged that a divergence angle θ

₁ of not more than 5 mrad illuminating light emitted from the illuminating light source and a single-pixel viewing angle θ

₂ of the first camera are smaller than an angle α

formed between an optical axis of the illuminating light and an optical axis of the reflected light from the illuminated object.

5. An object recognizing device as defined in claim 4, characterized in that the first camera is sensitive to a wavelength band of visible light or near infrared radiation and the second camera is sensitive to a wavelength band of infrared radiation.

6. An object recognizing device as defined in claim 5, characterized in that the second camera is sensitive to a wavelength band of infrared radiation of near 10 microns.

7. An object recognizing device for recognizing an object comprising, a light source for transmitting light toward the object, and a light sensor for receiving reflected light from the object, said light source having a divergence angle, θ

₁ of not more than 5 mrad and said light source and said light sensor being relatively positioned so that said divergence angle θ

₁ of the light transmitted from the light source is smaller than an angle α

formed between an optical axis of the transmitted light and an optical axis of the reflected light entering into the light sensor.

8. An object recognizing device as defined in claim 7, wherein the light source and the light sensor are disposed at a relative vertical distance of not less than 20 cm therebetween.

9. An object recognizing device according to claim 7, wherein said light sensor has a divergence angle θ

₂ of reflected light entering into the light sensor, and said divergence angle θ

₂ of said light sensor is smaller than an angle α

formed between an optical axis of the transmitted light and an optical axis of the reflected light.

10. An object recognizing device according to claim 7, wherein said light source is an illuminating light source, said light sensor includes a first camera having a single-pixel viewing angle for taking an image of an area illuminated by the illumination light source, a second camera is provided for taking an image in the same direction as the first camera but in a different sensitive range of wavelengths than said first camera, and an image synthesizing means for synthesizing the two images taken by said first and second cameras, respectively, and wherein the illumination light source and the first camera are relatively positioned so that a divergence angle θ

₁ of the illuminating light emitted from the illuminating light source and the single-pixel viewing angle θ

₂ of said first camera is smaller than an angle α

formed between an optical axis of the illuminating light and an optical axis of the reflected light from the illuminated object.

11. An object recognizing device as defined in claim 10, characterized in that said first camera is sensitive to a wavelength band of visible light and the second camera is sensitive to a wavelength band of infrared radiation.

12. An object recognizing device as defined in claim 11, characterized in that the second camera is sensitive to a wavelength band of infrared radiation of near 10 microns.

13. An object recognizing device for a vehicle for recognizing an object in front of the vehicle when the air includes significant aerosol particles, comprising, a light source mounted on the vehicle for transmitting light forwardly toward the object, a light sensor mounted on the vehicle and pointed forwardly for receiving reflected light from the object, said light source emitting a light beam having a divergence angle θ

₁ of not more than 5 mrad, and said light source and said light sensor being relatively positioned on the vehicle at a spacing so that said divergence angle of the light transmitted from the light source is smaller than the angle α

formed between an optical axis of the transmitted light and an optical axis of the reflected light entering into the light sensor for minimizing the volume of air and the aerosol particles illuminated by the transmitted light and reflected light and thereby minimizing light scattering for enhancing the reception by the light sensor of reflected light from the object.

14. An object recognizing device as defined in claim 13, wherein the light source and the light sensor are disposed at a relative vertical distance of not less than 20 cm therebetween.

15. An object recognizing device according to claim 13, wherein said light sensor has a divergence angle of reflected light entering into the light sensor, and said divergence angle of said light sensor is smaller than an angle formed between an optical axis of the transmitted light and an optical axis of the reflected light.

16. An object recognizing device according to claim 13, wherein said light source is an illuminating light source, said light sensor includes a first camera having a single-pixel viewing angle for taking an image of an area illuminated by the illumination light source, a second camera is provided for taking an image in the same direction as the first camera but in a different sensitive range of wavelengths than said first camera, and an image synthesizing means for synthesizing the two images taken by said first and second cameras, respectively.

17. An object recognizing device as defined in claim 16, characterized in that said first camera is sensitive to a wavelength band of visible light and the second camera is sensitive to a wavelength band of infrared radiation.