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Bundling night vision and other driver assistance systems (DAS) using near infra red (NIR) illumination and a rolling shutter

  • US 9,179,072 B2
  • Filed: 10/28/2011
  • Issued: 11/03/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system mountable in a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

  • a camera;

    a processor configured to receive image data from the camera;

    wherein the camera includes a rolling shutter configured to capture said image data by scanning during a frame period and to read the image data into a plurality of image frames, wherein the processor includes a plurality of driver assistance modules configured to perform respectively a plurality of driver assistance functions;

    wherein said camera is configured to provide to the processor said image frames, wherein the image frames are partitioned into first image frames for use by a first driver assistance module and into second image frames for use by a second driver assistance module;

    a near infra-red illuminator configured to provide a near infra-red illumination cone in the field of view of the camera, wherein the near infrared illumination oscillates with an illumination period;

    wherein the first driver assistance module is configured to use the near infra-red illumination in a part of an image in at least one of the first image frames, wherein the second driver assistance module is configured to use a part of an image in at least one of the second image frames that does not have said near infrared illumination;

    a synchronization mechanism configured to synchronize said illumination period to said frame period of said rolling shutter to time said near infra-red illumination to be in said part of the image of said at least one of the first image frames and to avoid said near infra-red illumination in said part of the image of said at least one of the second image frames.

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