Vehicular image sensing system
DCFirst Claim
1. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
- an imager comprising a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of light sensing photosensor elements;
wherein said imager is disposed at or proximate to an in-cabin portion of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said image sensing system, and wherein said imager has a forward field of view to the exterior of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data;
a control comprising an image processor;
wherein said image sensing system identifies objects in said forward field of view of said imager via processing of captured image data by said image processor;
wherein said image sensing system is operable to identify at least one of (i) approaching headlights, (ii) leading taillights, (iii) lane markers, (iv) traffic signs, (v) traffic lights, (vi) stop signs and (vii) caution signs;
wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture frames of image data; and
wherein said image sensing system includes an exposure control which determines an accumulation period of time that said photosensor array senses light when capturing a frame of image data.
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Abstract
An image sensing system for a vehicle includes an imager disposed at or proximate to an in-cabin portion of a vehicle windshield and having a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through the vehicle windshield. The photosensor array of the imager is operable to capture image data. The image sensing system identifies objects in the forward field of view of the imager via processing of captured image data by an image processor. The photosensor array may be operable to capture frames of image data and the image sensing system may include an exposure control which determines an accumulation period of time that the photosensor array senses light when capturing a frame of image data. Identification of objects may be based at least in part on at least one of (i) shape, (ii) luminance, (iii) geometry, (iv) spatial location, (v) motion and (vi) spectral characteristic.
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Citations
98 Claims
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1. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
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an imager comprising a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of light sensing photosensor elements; wherein said imager is disposed at or proximate to an in-cabin portion of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said image sensing system, and wherein said imager has a forward field of view to the exterior of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data; a control comprising an image processor; wherein said image sensing system identifies objects in said forward field of view of said imager via processing of captured image data by said image processor; wherein said image sensing system is operable to identify at least one of (i) approaching headlights, (ii) leading taillights, (iii) lane markers, (iv) traffic signs, (v) traffic lights, (vi) stop signs and (vii) caution signs; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture frames of image data; and wherein said image sensing system includes an exposure control which determines an accumulation period of time that said photosensor array senses light when capturing a frame of image data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
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an imager comprising a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of light sensing photosensor elements; wherein said imager is disposed at or proximate to an in-cabin portion of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said image sensing system, and wherein said imager has a forward field of view to the exterior of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data; a control comprising an image processor; wherein said image sensing system identifies objects in said forward field of view of said imager via processing of captured image data by said image processor; wherein identification of objects is based at least in part on at least one of (i) shape, (ii) luminance, (iii) geometry, (iv) spatial location, (v) motion and (vi) spectral characteristic; wherein objects identified by said image sensing system comprise at least one of (i) headlights of approaching vehicles, (ii) taillights of leading vehicles, (iii) lane markers on a road being traveled by the equipped vehicle, (iv) traffic signs, (v) traffic lights, (vi) stop signs and (vii) caution signs; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture frames of image data; wherein said image sensing system includes an exposure control which determines an accumulation period of time that said photosensor array senses light when capturing a frame of image data; and wherein, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by said image processor, said control at least one of (a) controls a headlight of the equipped vehicle, (b) controls a headlight of the equipped vehicle as a function of a speed of the equipped vehicle, (c) controls a speed of the equipped vehicle, (d) generates an alert to the driver of the equipped vehicle, (e) warns the driver of the equipped vehicle, (f) decelerates the equipped vehicle, (g) stops the equipped vehicle, (h) determines an ambient light level at the equipped vehicle, (i) activates a fog light of the equipped vehicle, (j) adjusts a light beam emitted by a headlight of the equipped vehicle, (k) inhibits operation of a headlight of the equipped vehicle in a high beam state, (l) assists the driver in steering the equipped vehicle, (m) adjusts an aim of a headlight of the equipped vehicle, (n) adjusts an intensity of a headlight of the equipped vehicle, (o) adjusts a beam pattern of a headlight of the equipped vehicle, (p) switches between a first lighting condition and a second lighting condition, (q) discriminates headlights of approaching vehicles from streetlights, (r) discriminates taillights of leading vehicles from streetlights, (s) discriminates headlights of approaching vehicles from reflections off signs of light emitted by a headlight of the equipped vehicle, (t) discriminates taillights of leading vehicles from reflections off signs of light emitted by a headlight of the equipped vehicle, and (u) determines at least one of fog, rain and mist in said forward field of view. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
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an imager comprising a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of light sensing photosensor elements; wherein said imager is disposed at or proximate to an in-cabin portion of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said image sensing system, and wherein said imager has a forward field of view to the exterior of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data; a control comprising an image processor; wherein said image sensing system identifies objects in said forward field of view of said imager via processing of captured image data by said image processor; and wherein at least one of (a) identification of objects is based at least in part on the spatial location of objects present in said forward field of view, (b) said image sensing system determines an activity level at the equipped vehicle, (c) said image sensing system determines an environment in which the equipped vehicle is being driven, (d) said image sensing system determines an environment in which the equipped vehicle is being driven and said image sensing system controls a headlight of the equipped vehicle at least in part responsive to said determination of the environment in which the equipped vehicle is being driven and (e) responsive at least in part to image processing by said image processor, said control at least one of (i) warns the driver of the equipped vehicle, (ii) decelerates the equipped vehicle and (iii) stops the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
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an imager comprising a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of light sensing photosensor elements; wherein said imager is disposed at or proximate to an in-cabin portion of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said image sensing system, and wherein said imager has a forward field of view to the exterior of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data; a control comprising an image processor; wherein said image sensing system identifies objects in said forward field of view of said imager via processing of captured image data by said image processor; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture frames of image data; wherein said photosensor array of light sensing photosensor elements comprises at least 262,144 photosensor elements; and wherein said imager comprises a lens. - View Dependent Claims (82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
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91. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
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an imager comprising a two-dimensional CMOS photosensor array of light sensing photosensor elements; wherein said imager is disposed at or proximate to an in-cabin portion of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said image sensing system, and wherein said imager has a forward field of view to the exterior of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said imager has a forward field of view to the exterior of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle at a region of the windshield that is swept by a windshield wiper of the equipped vehicle; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture image data; a control comprising an image processor; wherein said image sensing system identifies objects in said forward field of view of said imager via processing of captured image data by said image processor; wherein said photosensor array is operable to capture frames of image data; wherein said photosensor array of light sensing photosensor elements comprises at least 262,144 photosensor elements; wherein said imager comprises a lens and a spectral filter; and wherein light emitted by sources external of the equipped vehicle and/or reflected by objects external of the equipped vehicle passes through, and is filtered by, said spectral filter to be incident on at least some of said light sensing photosensor elements of said photosensor array. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98)
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Specification