IMAGE SENSING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE
First Claim
1. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
- an imaging sensor;
said imaging sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of light sensing photosensor elements formed on a semiconductor substrate;
said imaging sensor disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle;
said imaging sensor having a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through an area of the windshield;
a logic and control circuit;
said logic and control circuit comprising an image processor for processing image data derived from said imaging sensor;
said image processing comprising at least one of (i) spatial differentiation, (ii) spectral signature recognition, and (iii) pattern recognition;
said logic and control circuit generating at least one control output; and
wherein said image sensing system detects lane markers on a road being traveled by the vehicle and present in the field of view of said imaging sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image sensing system for a vehicle includes an imaging sensor and a logic and control circuit. The imaging sensor comprises a two-dimensional array of light sensing photosensor elements formed on a semiconductor substrate and is disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle and has a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through an area of the windshield. The logic and control circuit comprises an image processor for processing image data derived from the imaging sensor. The logic and control circuit generates at least one control output. The image sensing system detects lane markers on a road being traveled by the vehicle and present in the field of view of the imaging sensor.
29 Citations
45 Claims
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1. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
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an imaging sensor;
said imaging sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of light sensing photosensor elements formed on a semiconductor substrate;
said imaging sensor disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle;
said imaging sensor having a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through an area of the windshield;
a logic and control circuit;
said logic and control circuit comprising an image processor for processing image data derived from said imaging sensor;
said image processing comprising at least one of (i) spatial differentiation, (ii) spectral signature recognition, and (iii) pattern recognition;
said logic and control circuit generating at least one control output; and
wherein said image sensing system detects lane markers on a road being traveled by the vehicle and present in the field of view of said imaging sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
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an imaging sensor;
said imaging sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of light sensing photosensor elements formed on a semiconductor substrate;
said imaging sensor disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle;
said imaging sensor having a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through an area of the windshield and wherein said windshield area comprises a windshield area that is swept by the windshield wipers;
a logic and control circuit;
said logic and control circuit comprising an image processor for processing image data derived from said imaging sensor;
said image processing comprising at least one of (i) spatial differentiation, (ii) spectral signature recognition, and (iii) pattern recognition;
said logic and control circuit generating at least one control output;
wherein said image sensing system detects lane markers on a road being traveled by the vehicle and present in the field of view of said imaging sensor; and
wherein said detection of lane markers comprises identification by spectral signature. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
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an imaging sensor;
said imaging sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of light sensing photosensor elements formed on a semiconductor substrate;
said imaging sensor disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle;
said imaging sensor having a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through an area of the windshield and wherein said windshield area comprises a windshield area that is swept by the windshield wipers;
a logic and control circuit;
said logic and control circuit comprising an image processor for processing image data derived from said imaging sensor;
said logic and control circuit generating at least one control output;
wherein said image sensing system detects lane markers on a road being traveled by the vehicle and present in the field of view of said imaging sensor; and
wherein said image processing comprises pattern recognition and wherein said pattern recognition identifies objects of interest based on at least one of (i) shape, (ii) reflectivity, (iii) luminance, and (iv) spectral characteristic. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
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an imaging sensor;
said imaging sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of light sensing photosensor elements formed on a semiconductor substrate as a CMOS device;
said imaging sensor disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle and wherein said interior portion is at or proximate to an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle;
said imaging sensor having a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through an area of the windshield and wherein said windshield area comprises a windshield area that is swept by the windshield wipers;
a logic and control circuit;
said logic and control circuit comprising an image processor for processing image data derived from said imaging sensor;
said logic and control circuit generating at least one control output;
wherein said image sensing system detects lane markers on a road being traveled by the vehicle and present in the field of view of said imaging sensor;
wherein said image processing comprises pattern recognition and wherein said pattern recognition identifies objects of interest based on at least one of (i) shape, (ii) reflectivity, (iii) luminance, and (iv) spectral characteristic; and
wherein said forward field of view has a horizontal field of view and a vertical field of view and wherein said horizontal field of view is wider than said vertical field of view. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising:
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an imaging sensor;
said imaging sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of light sensing photosensor elements formed on a semiconductor substrate;
said imaging sensor disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle proximate the windshield of the vehicle and wherein said interior portion is at or proximate to an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle;
said imaging sensor having a forward field of view to the exterior of the vehicle through an area of the windshield and wherein said windshield area comprises a windshield area that is swept by the windshield wipers;
a logic and control circuit;
said logic and control circuit comprising an image processor for processing image data derived from said imaging sensor;
said logic and control circuit generating at least one control output;
wherein said image sensing system detects lane markers on a road being traveled by the vehicle and present in the field of view of said imaging sensor;
wherein said image processing comprises pattern recognition;
wherein said image processing identifies objects of interest and wherein object recognition is enhanced by comparing identified objects over successive frames; and
wherein said forward field of view has a horizontal field of view and a vertical field of view and wherein said horizontal field of view is wider than said vertical field of view. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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Specification