Imaging system for a motor vehicle, having partial color encoding

• US 9,704,048 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Koehler, Thorsten, Wagner, Ulrich, Frenzel, Henryk, Voltz, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mung, On S
• Application Number:
  US14/636,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 348113, 348148
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/20 Filters polarising elements G02B5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0007 Image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/10 for generating image signals from different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/84 for processing colour signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/133 including elements passing panchromatic light, e.g. filters passing white light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/135 based on four or more different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/64 Circuits for processing colour signals H04N9/77 takes precedence; camera processing pipelines for processing colour signals H04N23/84

Abstract

An imaging system for imaging an environment outside of a motor vehicle combines color-coded pixels and non-color-coded pixels in a single imaging sensor of a camera. Pixel groups each include at least one color-coded pixel and at least two non-color-coded pixels. The pixel groups are arranged in a repeating pattern of partial color encoding.

Claims

1. An imaging system for imaging an area of an environment outside of a motor vehicle, comprising a camera arrangement that comprises an imaging sensor having photosensitive pixels arranged in plural pixel rows that extend in a row direction and plural pixel columns that extend in a column direction, wherein said photosensitive pixels include color-coded pixels and non-color-coded pixels arranged in 2×

2 pixel groups that each respectively consist of four said photosensitive pixels including at least one said color-coded pixel and at least two said non-color-coded pixels configured in two said pixel rows and two said pixel columns, wherein said 2×

2 pixel groups are arranged adjacent one another in said row direction and in said column direction to form a repeating pattern of said 2×

2 pixel groups repeating in said row direction and in said column direction to cover an area of said imaging sensor with plural rows and plural columns of said 2×

2 pixel groups in said repeating pattern, and wherein said color-coded pixels alternate with said non-color-coded pixels in said row direction and/or in said column direction, in said repeating pattern over said area of said imaging sensor.

2. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein each said 2×

2 pixel group respectively consists of one said color-coded pixel and three said non-color-coded pixels.

3. The imaging system according to claim 2, wherein said 2×

2 pixel groups are oriented and arranged relative to one another so that alternate ones of said pixel rows and alternate ones of said pixel columns in said repeating pattern consist of only said non-color-coded pixels.

4. The imaging system according to claim 2, wherein all of said color-coded pixels of all of said 2×

2 pixel groups are all coded for a same single color.

5. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein each said 2×

2 pixel group respectively consists of two said color-coded pixels and two said non-color-coded pixels.

6. The imaging system according to claim 5, wherein said two color-coded pixels and said two non-color-coded pixels in each said 2×

2 pixel group are oriented and arranged relative to one another, and said 2×

2 pixel groups are oriented and arranged relative to one another, so that alternate ones of said pixel rows or alternate ones of said pixel columns in said repeating pattern consist of only said non-color-coded pixels.

7. The imaging system according to claim 5, wherein said two color-coded pixels and said two non-color-coded pixels in each said 2×

2 pixel group are oriented and arranged relative to one another, and said 2×

2 pixel groups are oriented and arranged relative to one another, so that said color-coded pixels alternate with said non-color-coded pixels in each one of said pixel rows and each one of said pixel columns in said repeating pattern.

8. The imaging system according to claim 5, wherein all of said color-coded pixels of all of said 2×

2 pixel groups are coded for a same single color.

9. The imaging system according to claim 5, wherein said two color-coded pixels of each one of said 2×

2 pixel groups are respectively coded for two colors different from one another.

10. The imaging system according to claim 9, wherein said two colors are red and green.

11. The imaging system according to claim 9, wherein said two colors are red and yellow.

12. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein all of said color-coded pixels of all of said 2×

2 pixel groups are coded for a red color.

13. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of said non-color-coded pixels to said color-coded pixels ranges from 60:

40 to 80;

20.

14. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of said non-color-coded pixels to said color-coded pixels is 75:

25.

15. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of said non-color-coded pixels to said color-coded pixels is 50:

50.

16. The imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said area of said imaging sensor covered by said repeating pattern of said 2×

2 pixel groups is a first partial area of a photosensitive sensor surface of said imaging sensor, said imaging sensor further includes additional pixels that are photosensitive and that cover a second partial area of said photosensitive sensor surface, and said additional pixels are not arranged according to said repeating pattern.

17. The imaging system according to claim 16, wherein said additional pixels are not color-coded.

18. The imaging system according to claim 16, wherein said first and second partial areas together cover all of said photosensitive sensor surface, and wherein said first partial area has an H-shaped configuration including a first plurality of said 2×

2 pixel groups forming said repeating pattern in plural columns of said 2×

2 pixel groups along a first side edge of said photosensitive sensor surface, a second plurality of said 2×

2 pixel groups forming said repeating pattern in plural columns of said 2×

2 pixel groups along a second side edge of said photosensitive sensor surface opposite said first side edge, and a third plurality of said 2×

2 pixel groups forming said repeating pattern in plural rows of said 2×

2 pixel groups extending from said first plurality of said 2×

2 pixel groups to said second plurality of said 2×

2 pixel groups.

31. The imaging system according to claim 9, wherein one of said two colors is red.

32. The imaging system according to claim 9, wherein said two colors are red and blue.

33. The imaging system according to claim 9, wherein said two colors are green and blue.

19. An imaging system for imaging an area of an environment outside of a motor vehicle, comprising an imaging sensor having photosensitive pixels including color-coded pixels and non-color-coded pixels arranged in 2×

2 pixel groups that each consist of one or two of said color-coded pixels and respectively three or two of said non-color-coded pixels, wherein said 2×

2 pixel groups are arranged adjacent one another to form a repeating pattern of said 2×

2 pixel groups covering an area of said imaging sensor, wherein all of said color-coded pixels of all of said 2×

2 pixel groups are coded for a same single color or are respectively coded for two colors that are different from one another, and wherein said color-coded pixels alternate with said non-color-coded pixels in a row direction and/or in a column direction of said photosensitive pixels, in said repeating pattern over said area of said imaging sensor.

20. The imaging system according to claim 19, wherein each one of said 2×

2 pixel groups respectively consists of one of said color-coded pixels and three of said non-color-coded pixels.

21. The imaging system according to claim 19, wherein each one of said 2×

2 pixel groups respectively consists of two of said color-coded pixels and two of said non-color-coded pixels.

22. The imaging system according to claim 19, wherein said area of said imaging sensor covered by said repeating pattern of said 2×

2 pixel groups is a first partial area of a photosensitive sensor surface of said imaging sensor, and said imaging sensor further has additional pixels that are photosensitive and that are arranged differently from said repeating pattern in a second partial area of said photosensitive sensor surface of said imaging sensor distinct from said first partial area.

23. The imaging system according to claim 22, wherein said additional pixels are not color-coded.

24. The imaging system according to claim 21, wherein said two color-coded pixels and said two non-color-coded pixels in each said 2×

2 pixel group are oriented and arranged relative to one another, and said 2×

2 pixel groups are oriented and arranged relative to one another, so that alternate rows or alternate columns of said photosensitive pixels in said repeating pattern consist of only said non-color-coded pixels.

25. The imaging system according to claim 21, wherein said color-coded pixels alternate with said non-color-coded pixels in said row direction and in said column direction of said photosensitive pixels in said repeating pattern.

26. The imaging system according to claim 25, wherein said two color-coded pixels of each one of said 2×

2 pixel groups are respectively coded for said two colors that are different from one another.

27. The imaging system according to claim 26, wherein one of said two colors is red.

28. The imaging system according to claim 26, wherein said two colors are red and green.

29. The imaging system according to claim 26, wherein said two colors are red and blue.

30. The imaging system according to claim 26, wherein said two colors are green and blue.

34. An image sensor comprising light-sensitive pixels including color pixels and monochrome pixels covering an area of the image sensor, wherein:

the color pixels include first color pixels that are color-coded to be sensitive to a first color, and second color pixels that are color-coded to be sensitive to a second color different from the first color,

the monochrome pixels are not color-coded, and

the light-sensitive pixels are arranged in a checkerboard pattern in which the color pixels alternate with the monochrome pixels in each row along a row direction and in each column along a column direction, and in which the first color pixels alternate with the second color pixels in two diagonal directions that extend obliquely to the row direction and the column direction.