Multi-focus optical system

• US 9,550,455 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2013
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Foley, Andrew M., Roush, Robert E. Jr., Luten, Henry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/869,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20130286188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 348/114, 348/118, 348/272
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/00 Arrangement of monitoring devices for devices provided for in groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/959 by adjusting depth of field during image capture, e.g. maximising or setting range based on scene characteristics

Abstract

An imager system configured for a vehicle control system is provided that includes at least one imager configured to capture a multi-focus image having depth data, the imager comprising an image sensor comprising an array of pixels, and an optics assembly in optical communication with the image sensor, the optics assembly configured to capture light rays, wherein the optics assembly comprising a main lens assembly configured to substantially focus a scene on to a plane, a micro lens assembly in optical communication between the main lens and the image sensor to substantially focus on to same the plane as the main lens assembly extending out to infinity, and a controller in communication with the imager, wherein the controller is configured to output a signal for controlling a function of the vehicle, the signal based upon the depth data determined from the multi-focus image.

Claims

1. An imager system configured for a vehicle control system, said imager system comprising:

at least one imager configured to capture a multi-focus image having depth data, said imager comprising;

an image sensor comprising an array of pixels; and

an optics assembly in optical communication with said image sensor, said optics assembly configured to capture light rays and comprising;

a main lens assembly configured to substantially focus a scene on to a plane;

a micro lens assembly in optical communication between said main lens and said image sensor to substantially focus on to same said plane as said main lens assembly extending out to infinity, wherein a diameter of a first micro lens at an outer portion of said micro lens assembly is different than a diameter of a second micro lens at an inner portion of said micro lens assembly; and

a controller in communication with said imager, wherein said controller is configured to output a signal for controlling a function of the vehicle, said signal based upon said depth data determined from said multi-focus image.

2. The imager system of claim 1, wherein said function of the vehicle that is controlled based upon said signal is at least one of headlamp control, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, object detection, pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition, displaying an image, occupant detection, and intruder detection.

3. The imager system of claim 1, wherein said function of the vehicle that is controlled based upon said signal is object detection for collision avoidance, and an imaged object is ignored if said imaged object is imaged by less than about four pixels of said array of pixels.

4. The imager system of claim 1, wherein said micro lens diameters are one of circular, rectangular, hexagonal, and octagonal.

5. The imager system of claim 1, wherein said at least one imager comprises a plurality of imagers in optical communication with said main lens assembly.

6. The imager system of claim 1, wherein micro lenses of said micro lens assembly are configured to enhance effectiveness of imaging on said pixel array.

7. The imager system of claim 6, wherein said micro lenses of said micro lens assembly are substantially hexagonally shaped.

8. The imager system of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises at least one of a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), and a parallel RISC/CISC.

9. The imager system of claim 1, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly are configured to enhance spatial recognition in one of a vertical axis and horizontal axis.

10. The imager system of claim 9, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly are elliptical.

11. The imager system of claim 1, wherein said at least one imager comprises at least two of a first imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a near-field scene, a second imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a mid-field scene, and a third imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a far-field scene.

12. An imager system configured for a vehicle control system, said imager system comprising:

at least one imager configured to capture a multi-focus image having depth data, said imager comprising;

an image sensor comprising an array of pixels; and

an optics assembly in optical communication with said image sensor, said optics assembly configured to capture light rays, wherein said optics assembly comprising;

a main lens assembly configured to substantially focus a scene on to a plane;

a micro lens assembly in optical communication between said main lens and said image sensor to substantially focus on to same said plane as said main lens assembly extending out to infinity, wherein a profile of a first micro lens at an outer portion of said micro lens assembly is different than a profile of a second micro lens at an inner portion of said micro lens assembly; and

a controller in communication with said imager, wherein said controller is configured to output a signal for controlling a function of the vehicle, said signal based upon said depth data determined from said multi-focus image.

13. The imager system of claim 12, wherein said micro lens profiles are one of circular, rectangular, hexagonal, and octagonal.

14. The imager system of claim 12, wherein said function of the vehicle that is controlled based upon said signal is at least one of headlamp control, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, object detection, pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition, displaying an image, occupant detection, and intruder detection.

15. The imager system of claim 12, wherein said function of the vehicle that is controlled based upon said signal is object detection for collision avoidance, and an imaged object is ignored if said imaged object is imaged by less than about four pixels of said array of pixels.

16. The imager system of claim 12, wherein said at least one imager comprises a plurality of imagers in optical communication with said main lens assembly.

17. The imager system of claim 12, wherein micro lenses of said micro lens assembly are configured to enhance effectiveness of imaging on said pixel array.

18. The imager system of claim 17, wherein said micro lenses of said micro lens assembly are substantially hexagonally shaped.

19. The imager system of claim 12, wherein said controller comprises at least one of a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), and a parallel RISC/CISC.

20. The imager system of claim 12, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly are configured to enhance spatial recognition in one of a vertical axis and horizontal axis.

21. The imager system of claim 20, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly are elliptical.

22. The imager system of claim 12, wherein said at least one imager comprises at least two of a first imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a near-field scene, a second imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a mid-field scene, and a third imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a far-field scene.

23. An imager system configured for a vehicle control system, said imager system comprising:

at least one imager configured to capture a multi-focus image having depth data, said imager comprising;

an image sensor comprising an array of pixels; and

an optics assembly in optical communication with said image sensor, said optics assembly configured to capture light rays, wherein said optics assembly comprising;

a main lens assembly configured to substantially focus a scene on to a plane;

a micro lens assembly in optical communication between said main lens and said image sensor to substantially focus on to same said plane as said main lens assembly extending out to infinity, wherein said micro lens assembly comprises an inner portion and an outer portion, said inner portion having a different focal length than said outer portion; and

a controller in communication with said imager, wherein said controller is configured to output a signal for controlling a function of the vehicle, said signal based upon said depth data determined from said multi-focus image.

24. The imager system of claim 23, wherein said function of the vehicle that is controlled based upon said signal is at least one of headlamp control, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, object detection, pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition, displaying an image, occupant detection, and intruder detection.

25. The imager system of claim 23, wherein said function of the vehicle that is controlled based upon said signal is object detection for collision avoidance, and an imaged object is ignored if said imaged object is imaged by less than about four pixels of said array of pixels.

26. The imager system of claim 23, wherein said at least one imager comprises a plurality of imagers in optical communication with said main lens assembly.

27. The imager system of claim 23, wherein micro lenses of said micro lens assembly are configured to enhance effectiveness of imaging on said pixel array.

28. The imager system of claim 27, wherein said micro lenses of said micro lens assembly are substantially hexagonally shaped.

29. The imager system of claim 23, wherein said controller comprises at least one of a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), and a parallel RISC/CISC.

30. The imager system of claim 23, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly are configured to enhance spatial recognition in one of a vertical axis and horizontal axis.

31. The imager system of claim 30, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly are elliptical.

32. The imager system of claim 23, wherein said at least one imager comprises at least two of a first imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a near-field scene, a second imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a mid-field scene, and a third imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a far-field scene.

33. An imager system configured for a vehicle control system, said imager system comprising:

at least one imager configured to capture a multi-focus image having depth data, said imager comprising;

an image sensor comprising an array of pixels; and

an optics assembly in optical communication with said image sensor, said optics assembly configured to capture light rays, wherein said optics assembly comprising;

a main lens assembly configured to substantially focus a scene on to a plane;

a micro lens assembly in optical communication between said main lens and said image sensor to substantially focus on to same said plane as said main lens assembly extending out to infinity;

a controller in communication with said imager, wherein said controller is configured to output a signal for controlling a function of the vehicle, said signal based upon said depth data determined from said multi-focus image; and

an electro-optic lens assembly in optical communication with said main lens assembly, wherein said electro-optic lens assembly is configured to alter transmittance states to define an aperture with respect to said main lens assembly, said micro lens assembly, and said imager.

34. The imager system of claim 33, wherein said function of the vehicle that is controlled based upon said signal is at least one of headlamp control, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, object detection, pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition, displaying an image, occupant detection, and intruder detection.

35. The imager system of claim 33, wherein said function of the vehicle that is controlled based upon said signal is object detection for collision avoidance, and an imaged object is ignored if said imaged object is imaged by less than about four pixels of said array of pixels.

36. The imager system of claim 33, wherein said at least one imager comprises a plurality of imagers in optical communication with said main lens assembly.

37. The imager system of claim 33, wherein micro lenses of said micro lens assembly are configured to enhance effectiveness of imaging on said pixel array.

38. The imager system of claim 37, wherein said micro lenses of said micro lens assembly are substantially hexagonally shaped.

39. The imager system of claim 33, wherein said controller comprises at least one of a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), and a parallel RISC/CISC.

40. The imager system of claim 33, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly are configured to enhance spatial recognition in one of a vertical axis and horizontal axis.

41. The imager system of claim 40, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly are elliptical.

42. The imager system of claim 33, wherein said at least one imager comprises at least two of a first imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a near-field scene, a second imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a mid-field scene, and a third imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a far-field scene.

43. The imager system of claim 33, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly have at least one different diameter, profile, and focal length.

44. The imager system of claim 33, wherein said electro-optic lens assembly is one of an electrochromic aperture assembly and a liquid crystal aperture assembly.

45. An imager system configured for a vehicle control system, said imager system comprising:

at least one imager configured to capture a multi-focus image having depth data, said imager comprising;

an image sensor comprising an array of pixels; and

an optics assembly in optical communication with said image sensor, said optics assembly configured to capture light rays, wherein said optics assembly comprising;

a main lens assembly configured to substantially focus a scene on to a plane;

a micro lens assembly in optical communication between said main lens and said image sensor to substantially focus on to same said plane as said main lens assembly extending out to infinity;

a controller in communication with said imager, wherein said controller is configured to output a signal for controlling a function of the vehicle, said signal based upon said depth data determined from said multi-focus image; and

an electro-optic lens assembly in optical communication with said micro lens assembly, wherein said electro-optic lens assembly is configured to alter transmittance states to define an aperture with respect to said micro lens assembly and said imager.

46. The imager system of claim 45, wherein said function of the vehicle that is controlled based upon said signal is at least one of headlamp control, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, object detection, pedestrian detection, traffic sign recognition, displaying an image, occupant detection, and intruder detection.

47. The imager system of claim 45, wherein said function of the vehicle that is controlled based upon said signal is object detection for collision avoidance, and an imaged object is ignored if said imaged object is imaged by less than about four pixels of said array of pixels.

48. The imager system of claim 45, wherein said at least one imager comprises a plurality of imagers in optical communication with said main lens assembly.

49. The imager system of claim 45, wherein micro lenses of said micro lens assembly are configured to enhance effectiveness of imaging on said pixel array.

50. The imager system of claim 49, wherein said micro lenses of said micro lens assembly are substantially hexagonally shaped.

51. The imager system of claim 45, wherein said controller comprises at least one of a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), and a parallel RISC/CISC.

52. The imager system of claim 45, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly are configured to enhance spatial recognition in one of a vertical axis and horizontal axis.

53. The imager system of claim 52, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly are elliptical.

54. The imager system of claim 45, wherein said at least one imager comprises at least two of a first imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a near-field scene, a second imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a mid-field scene, and a third imager comprising a main lens assembly and a micro lens assembly configured for imaging a far-field scene.

55. The imager system of claim 45, wherein said main lens assembly and said micro lens assembly have at least one different diameter, profile, and focal length.

56. The imager system of claim 45, wherein said electro-optic lens assembly is one of an electrochromic aperture assembly and a liquid crystal aperture assembly.