Vehicular imaging system with selective infrared filtering and supplemental illumination

• US 7,619,680 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ADAC Plastics Incorporated (ADAC Automotive, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADAC Plastics Incorporated (ADAC Automotive, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, William, Bingle, Robert L., Vadas, Keith J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Giles; Nicholas G
• Application Number:
  US10/710,412
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 348/216.1, 348/361, 348/360, 348/342, 348/229.1, 348/362, 348/364, 348/366
• US Class Current: 348/361
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0019 Side or rear panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0026 Windows, e.g. windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0028 Ceiling, e.g. roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0075 using a containment or docking space
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• 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

An imaging system for use in an exterior or interior of a vehicle comprises a camera having an image sensor with an associated optical path and viewing area and an infrared filter associated with the image sensor for automatically selectively attenuating infrared radiation according to light conditions of the viewing area. The imaging system can further comprise a selectively acutable supplemental illumination system comprising at least one light source for providing supplemental illumination to the viewing area of the camera.

Claims

1. An imaging system for use in an exterior or interior of a vehicle, the imaging system comprising:

a camera having an image sensor with an associated optical path, the image sensor adapted for generating an output that is indicative of lighting conditions in a viewing area of the camera; and

an infrared filter associated with the image sensor for attenuating infrared radiation;

wherein the infrared filter is movable as a result of the output of the image sensor, between a first position in which the infrared filter is disposed in the optical path of the image sensor for preventing transmission of the infrared radiation to the image sensor, and a second position in which the infrared filter is spaced from the optical path of the image sensor and does not prevent transmission of the infrared radiation to the image sensor; and

wherein, when the output is less than a first threshold, the infrared filter is in the first position, and when the output is greater than a second threshold which is greater than the first threshold, the infrared filter is in the second position.

2. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the output is a gain determined by an Automatic Gain Control.

3. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the output is a value representative of a gain determined by an Automatic Gain Control.

4. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the output is an exposure.

5. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the output is a white balance.

6. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the second threshold is twice the first threshold.

7. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the infrared filter automatically moves between the first position and the second position as a result of lighting conditions in the viewing area of the camera.

8. The imaging system according to claim 7 and further comprising a solenoid that moves the infrared filter between the first position and the second position.

9. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the infrared filter is manually moved between the first position and the second position.

10. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the camera further comprises an infrared filter holder for mounting the infrared filter to the camera.

11. The imaging system according to claim 10, wherein the infrared filter holder pivots relative to the image sensor to move the infrared filter between the first position and the second position.

12. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor comprises a focal length, and the infrared filter has a thickness that does not substantially change the focal length of the image sensor as the infrared filter moves between the first position and the second position.

13. The imaging system according to claim 1 and further comprising a supplemental illumination system comprising at least one light source for providing supplemental illumination to the viewing area of the camera.

14. The imaging system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one light source comprises a light emitting diode.

15. The imaging system according to claim 14, wherein the light emitting diode is an infrared light emitting diode.

16. The imaging system according to claim 14, wherein the light emitting diode is a white light emitting diode.

17. The imaging system according to claim 14, wherein the light emitting diode is a colored light emitting diode.

18. The imaging system according to claim 13, wherein the vehicle comprises a license plate lightbar, and the supplemental illumination system is mounted to the lightbar.

19. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a center high mount stop lamp, and the supplemental illumination system is mounted to the center high mount stop lamp.

20. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises at least one tail lamp, and the supplemental illumination system is mounted to the at least one tail lamp.

21. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the camera and the supplemental illumination system form a unitary module.

22. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source is directed rearwardly of the vehicle.

23. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the supplemental illumination system is selectively actuable when the imaging system is activated.

24. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the supplemental illumination system is selectively actuable when the infrared filter is automatically positioned in one of the first position and the second position in accordance with lighting conditions in a viewing area of the camera.

25. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor is a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor.

26. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the infrared radiation comprises wavelengths between about 700 nm and 1 mm.

27. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the infrared radiation comprises near-infrared radiation.

28. An imaging system for use in an exterior or interior of a vehicle, the imaging system comprising:

a camera having an image sensor with an associated optical path, and a viewing area; and

an infrared filter associated with the image sensor for selectively attenuating infrared radiation, and movable as a result of an output of the image sensor indicative of light conditions in the viewing area of the camera, between a first position, in which the infrared filter is disposed in the optical path of the image sensor for preventing transmission of the infrared radiation to the image sensor, and a second position, in which the infrared filter is spaced from the optical path of the image sensor and does not prevent transmission of the infrared radiation to the image sensor;

wherein the infrared filter is automatically responsive to light conditions in the viewing area such that the infrared filter prevents the image sensor from being exposed to infrared radiation when light conditions in the viewing area correspond to bright light conditions and does not prevent the image sensor from being exposed to infrared radiation when the light conditions in the viewing area correspond to low light conditions; and

wherein, when the output is less than a first threshold, the infrared filter is in the first position, and when the output is greater than a second threshold which is greater than the first threshold, the infrared filter is in the second position.

29. The imaging system according to claim 28, wherein the output is a gain determined by an Automatic Gain Control.

30. The imaging system according to claim 28, wherein the output is a value representative of a gain determined by an Automatic Gain Control.

31. The imaging system according to claim 28 and further comprising a supplemental illumination system comprising at least one light source for providing supplemental illumination to the viewing area of the camera.

32. The imaging system according to claim 31, wherein the at least one light source comprises a light emitting diode.

33. The imaging system according to claim 32, wherein the supplemental illumination system is selectively actuable when the imaging system is activated.

34. The imaging system according to claim 28, wherein an indication of light conditions in the vicinity of the camera comprises a gain applied to pixels of an image captured by the image sensor.

35. An imaging system for use in an exterior or interior of a vehicle, the imaging system comprising:

a camera having an image sensor for generating an image output representative of an image captured by the image sensor with an associated optical path and viewing area, the image sensor generating a light condition output that is indicative of lighting conditions in the viewing area; and

an infrared filter associated with the image sensor, and movable between a first position, wherein the infrared filter is disposed in the optical path of the image sensor for preventing transmission of the infrared radiation to the image sensor, and a second position, wherein the infrared filter is spaced from the optical path of the image sensor and does not prevent transmission of the infrared radiation to the image sensor;

wherein the infrared filter moves to the first position to prevent the image sensor from being exposed to infrared radiation when the light condition output of the image sensor is less than a first threshold value corresponding to bright light conditions, and moves to the second position to not prevent the image sensor from being exposed to infrared radiation when the light condition output is greater than a second threshold value corresponding to low light conditions, that is twice the first threshold value.