Method of fog and raindrop detection on a windscreen and driving assistance device

• US 9,205,810 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Robert, Caroline, Ahiad, Samia, Zhang, Xiyuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Goradia, Shefali
• Application Number:
  US13/582,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20130039544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,105 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of fog and raindrop detection on a windscreen (200), comprising a raindrop detection application (201) and a fog detection application (202), characterized in that said fog detection application (202) comprises a step (202b) in which an indication of the presence of raindrop is detected, said indication of raindrop presence triggering a switch from said fog detection application (202) to said raindrop detection application (201).

Claims

1. A method of fog and raindrop detection on a windscreen, comprising:

detecting, by a raindrop detection application, raindrops on the windscreen; and

detecting, by a fog detection application, fog on the windscreen,

wherein a lack of detection of raindrops by the raindrop detection application triggers a switch from operation of said raindrop detection application to operating of said fog detection application,

wherein the raindrop detection application to the fog detection application when a number of raindrops and/or a water surface remains equal or below a predetermined first threshold during a predetermined time.

2. The method of fog and raindrop detection according to claim 1, further comprising:

using a camera comprising a bifocal objective,

wherein the fog detection application uses image portions captured by said camera in a first zone that is focused to infinity to detect fog density, and wherein the raindrop detection application uses image portions captured by said camera in a second zone that is focused on the windscreen to detect raindrop.

3. The method of fog and raindrop detection according to claim 2, wherein said fog detection application also detects edges in the captured images by said camera in the second zone that is focused on the windscreen, to detect an indication of the presence of raindrop edges, and wherein the fog detection application switches to the raindrop detection application when a number of supposed raindrop edges in said second zone is higher than said second predetermined threshold.

4. The method of fog and raindrop detection according to claim 3,

wherein the raindrop detection application comprises:

a first step to detect raindrop using images portions captured in said second zone, and

a second step in which the lack of raindrop triggers a switch from said raindrop detection application to the fog detection application,

wherein the fog detection application comprises;

a first step in which edges are detected within a first area of interest selected in said first zone to detect fog density, and a second area of interest selected in said second zone to detect the presence of supposed raindrop edges, and

a second step in which an excess of a number of said supposed raindrop edges in said second zone beyond said predetermined second threshold triggers a switch from said fog detection application to said raindrop detection application.

5. The method of fog and raindrop detection according to claim 1, wherein said fog detection application comprises detecting an indication of the presence of raindrops, said indication of raindrop presence triggering a switch from operation of said fog detection application to operation of said raindrop detection application.

6. A system for fog and raindrop detection on a windscreen, comprising:

a raindrop detection application configured to detect raindrops on the windscreen; and

a fog detection application configured to detect fog on the windscreen,

wherein said fog detection application comprises detecting an indication of a presence of raindrops, said indication of raindrop presence triggering a switch from operation of said fog detection application to operation of said raindrop detection application,

wherein the raindrop detection application switches to the fog detection application when a number of raindrops and/or a water surface remains equal or below a predetermined first threshold during a predetermined time.

7. The system for fog and raindrop detection according to claim 6, further comprising:

a camera which is focused at infinite to capture images,

wherein the fog detection application comprises;

a first stage in which edges are detected within an area of interest in the captured images,

a second stage in which a luminance curve is evaluated from the pixels of said area of interest, and

a third stage in which an inflexion point is calculated from said luminance curve to determine the visibility distance.

8. The system for fog and raindrop detection according to claim 7, wherein a switch from operation of the fog detection application to operation of said raindrop detection application is triggered when a detected number of edges corresponding to a raindrop shape is higher than a predetermined second threshold.

9. The system for fog and raindrop detection according to claim 6, wherein said raindrop detection application is configured to trigger a switch from operation of the raindrop detection application to operation of the fog detection application based on lack of detection of raindrops.

10. The system for fog and raindrop detection according to claim 6, further comprising:

using a camera comprising a bifocal objective,

wherein the fog detection application uses image portions captured by said camera in a first zone that is focused to infinity to detect fog density, and wherein the raindrop detection application uses image portions captured by said camera in a second zone that is focused on the windscreen to detect raindrop.

11. A driving assistance device comprising:

a camera for being mounted onboard a vehicle; and

a computer processor configured to;

capture images from said camera,

detect, by a raindrop detection application, raindrops on the windscreen; and

detecting, by a fog detection application, fog on the windscreen,

wherein a lack of detection of raindrops by the raindrop detection application triggers a switch from operation of said raindrop detection application to operating of said fog detection application,

wherein the raindrop detection application switches to the fog detection application when a number of raindrops and/or a water surface remains equal or below a predetermined first threshold during a predetermined time.

12. The driving assistance device according to claim 11, wherein said camera comprises a bifocal objective providing a first zone that is focused to infinity and a second zone focused in near field.

13. The driving assistance device according to claim 12, wherein the computer processor is further configured to run Lane Departure Warning, Speed Limit Assist or Adaptative Driving Beam driving assistance applications using images from a single camera.