Optoelectronic monitoring device for a motor vehicle

• US 6,975,390 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2001
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Weber, Thomas, Mindl, Anton, Bläsing, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): STAFIRA, MICHAEL PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US09/948,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 356/213, 356/218, 356/222, 356/227, 356/233, 356/225, 250/208.1, 250/208.2, 250/208.4, 250/227.24, 250/227.25, 250/206.1, 250/206.2, 250/206.4
• US Class Current: 356/213
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera

Abstract

A motor vehicle optoelectronic monitoring device includes a sensor, imaging systems, a shutter, and a controller. Each sensor element outputs a sensor element signal based on the intensity of a light signal received by the sensor element. Each imaging system is associated with a sensor region and illuminates an object to monitor the object. Two sensor regions associated with two respective imaging systems partially overlap one another. Each imaging system illuminates the sensor elements of the associated sensor region with a light signal indicative of the object being monitored. The controller controls the shutter unit to selectively enable and disable illumination of the sensor by the imaging systems. The controller processes the sensor element electric signals output by the sensor elements in response to illumination by an imaging system to determine conditions of the object being monitored by the imaging system.

Claims

1. An optoelectronic monitoring device for a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

a plurality of imaging systems, each imaging system operable for outputting a respective light beam in order to monitor a respective object;

a sensor arranged relative to the imaging systems such that the light beams outputted by the imaging systems are incident to the sensor, the sensor outputting a sensor signal indicative of light received by the sensor;

a shutter unit having a plurality of shutter fields, the shutter fields being switchable between light-transmitting and light-blocking modes, each shutter field being arranged between a respective imaging system and the sensor;

wherein each shutter field allows light from the light beam outputted from the respective imaging system to be received by the sensor when the shutter field is in the light-transmitting mode;

wherein each shutter field blocks the light beam outputted from the respective imaging system from being received by the sensor when the shutter field is in the light-blocking mode; and

a controller which controls the shutter fields such that only one of the shutter fields is in the light-transmitting mode at any one time, wherein the controller processes the sensor signal in order to determine conditions of the objects being monitored by the imaging systems.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the controller controls the shutter fields electrically by electro-optical means.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the sensor is a two-dimensional sensor array.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the shutter unit is a liquid-crystal shutter unit.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the shutter unit is an electro-chromic shutter unit.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the controller controls an actuator associated with an object being monitored by an imaging system as a function of the determined conditions of the object.

7. An optoelectronic monitoring device for a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

a plurality of imaging systems, each imaging system operable for outputting a respective light beam in order to monitor a respective object;

a sensor arranged relative to the imaging systems such that the light beams outputted by the imaging systems are incident to respective regions of the sensor, wherein at least two of the sensor regions overlap one another such that the light beams outputted from at least two of the imaging systems are incident to the overlapped sensor regions, the sensor outputting a sensor signal indicative of light received by the sensor;

a shutter unit having a plurality of shutter fields, the shutter fields being switchable between light-transmitting and light-blocking modes, each shutter field being arranged between a respective imaging system and the sensor;

wherein each shutter field allows light from the light beam outputted from the respective imaging system to be received by the sensor when the shutter field is in the light-transmitting mode;

wherein each shutter field blocks the light beam outputted from the respective imaging system from being received by the sensor when the shutter field is in the light-blocking mode; and

a controller for controlling the shutter fields such that each sensor region is allowed to receive light from the light beam outputted by only one imaging system at any one time, wherein the controller processes the sensor signal in order to determine conditions of the objects being monitored by the imaging systems.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein:

the controller controls the shutter unit electrically by electro-optical means.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein:

the sensor is a two-dimensional sensor array.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein:

the size of the sensor is determined by the largest sensor region associated with an imaging system, wherein the other sensor regions are contained within the largest sensor region.

11. The device of claim 7 wherein:

the shutter unit is one of a liquid-crystal shutter unit and an electro-chromic shutter unit.

12. The device of claim 7 wherein:

the controller controls an actuator associated with an object being monitored by an imaging system as a function of the determined conditions of the object.