Vehicle rain sensor using imaging sensor
First Claim
1. A vehicular rain sensor which senses precipitation at a vehicle window, said vehicular sensor comprising:
- an imaging array sensor directed at the vehicle window from inside the vehicle, said imaging array sensor comprising a camera device capable of imaging precipitation at a surface of the vehicle window, said camera imaging precipitation in response to ambient light present at the window; and
a control which responds to an output of said imaging array sensor in order to indicate precipitation at a surface of the window.
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Abstract
A vehicular rain sensor which senses precipitation at a vehicle window. The rain sensor comprises an imaging array sensor and a control. The imaging array sensor is directed at the vehicle window from inside the vehicle and comprises a camera device capable of imaging precipitation at a surface of the window. The camera is operable to image the precipitation at least in response to ambient light present at the window. The control responds to an output of the imaging array sensor in order to indicate precipitation at the surface of the window. The control determines the presence of precipitation via spatial filtering of the image received by the camera device.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A vehicular rain sensor which senses precipitation at a vehicle window, said vehicular sensor comprising:
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an imaging array sensor directed at the vehicle window from inside the vehicle, said imaging array sensor comprising a camera device capable of imaging precipitation at a surface of the vehicle window, said camera imaging precipitation in response to ambient light present at the window; and
a control which responds to an output of said imaging array sensor in order to indicate precipitation at a surface of the window. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
where N is a quantity of neighboring pixels, Pj is one of the neighboring pixels, and Pi is the targeted one of said pixels.
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15. The vehicular rain sensor of claim 14, wherein N is 8 and Pj is one of eight pixels adjacent to the targeted pixel.
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16. A vehicular rain sensor which senses precipitation at a windshield of a vehicle, said vehicular sensor comprising:
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an imaging array sensor directed forwardly with respect to the vehicle and at the vehicle windshield, said imaging array sensor comprising a camera device comprising a pixelated array sensor comprising a plurality of pixels, said camera device being operable to capture an image of precipitation at a surface of the windshield in response to ambient light at the windshield; and
a control which responds to an output of said imaging array sensor in order to indicate precipitation at a surface of the windshield via spatial filtering of said pixels, said control being further operable to control a windshield wiper on the vehicle in response to indication of precipitation at the windshield. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A vehicular rain sensor which senses precipitation at a windshield of a vehicle, said vehicular sensor comprising:
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an imaging array sensor directed forwardly with respect to the vehicle and at the vehicle windshield, said imaging array sensor comprising a CMOS sensor operable to capture an image of precipitation at the windshield in response to ambient light present at the windshield; and
a control which responds to an output of said imaging array sensor in order to indicate precipitation at a surface of the windshield, said control being further operable to control a windshield wiper on the vehicle in response to indication of precipitation at the windshield. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification