Method and System for Improving the Monitoring of the External Environment of a Motor Vehicle

• US 20090027185A1
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FICO Mirrors SA (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: FICO Mirrors SA (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Daura Luna, Francesc, Servera Serapio, Lorenzo
• Granted Patent: US 8,044,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/463
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for improving the monitoring of the external environment of a motor vehicle. According to the invention, the vehicle comprises a built-in system for detecting objects with which it is likely to collide, within a monitored area covering a blind spot, comprising a capturing device for acquiring images that are representative of one or more objects located within said area and an electronic system for processing and analysing input signals. The inventive method comprises the automatic activation of an infrared light source in the direction of the monitored area when the images acquired cannot be processed and analysed in order to provide a result that would reliably detect a determined object and the automatic deactivation of said infrared light source when the acquired images produce the correct result without the need for infrared light. In addition, the system comprises a model with an infrared light source.

Claims

1. A method for improving the monitoring of the external environment of a motor vehicle, of the type which comprises using a detection system to detect the presence of objects which are susceptible to collide with the mentioned vehicle, in a determined surveillance area, covering at least one blind spot, said detection system comprising at least one capturing device suitable for acquiring images representative of one or more objects located within said surveillance area, and an electronic system with at least one system for processing and analyzing input signals obtained by means of said at least one capturing device, and which generates output signals according to the result of said analysis, said method comprises automatically activating an infrared light source to emit infrared light towards the surveillance area to be covered by the capturing device when the images acquired by said capturing device don'"'"'t make possible a processing and an analysis providing a result that would reliably detect a determined object, and deactivating, also automatically, said infrared light source when the electronic system determines, after processing and analyzing the images acquired by the capturing device, that a determined object in said surveillance area can be reliably detected without the need for infrared light.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein it also comprises deactivating said infrared light source if the images captured by the capturing device are indicative that said object does not continue to occupy the surveillance area.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein it also comprises disconnecting the power supply of at least part of the detection system if the images captured are indicative that said object does not continue to occupy the surveillance area.

2. A method for improving the monitoring of the external environment of a motor vehicle, of the type which comprises using a detection system adapted for detecting the presence of objects which are susceptible to collide with the mentioned vehicle, in a determined surveillance area, covering at least one blind spot, said system comprising at least one capturing device suitable for acquiring images representative of one or more objects located within said surveillance area, and an electronic system comprising at least one system for processing and analyzing input signals obtained by means of said at least one capturing device, and which generates output signals according to the result of said analysis, said method comprises automatically activating an infrared light source to emit infrared light towards the surveillance area to be covered by the capturing device when:

the images acquired by said capturing device don'"'"'t make possible a processing and an analysis providing a result that would reliably detect a determined object, and

when the activation of at least one turn signal of the vehicle by means of detection means included in said detection system is further detected,

and deactivating, also automatically, said infrared light source when the electronic system determines, after processing and analyzing the images acquired by the capturing device, that a determined object in said surveillance area can be reliably detected without the need for infrared light.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein when said activation of said infrared light source occurs when the activation of said at least one turn signal is furthermore detected, it comprises the following step prior to deactivating the infrared light source:

checking if, with said infrared light source activated, the capturing device captures images and if such images are indicative that an object has entered said surveillance area, activating at least one of said output signals indicative of said detection, and keeping it activated while said detection is maintained.

15. A method according to claim 2, wherein it also comprises deactivating said infrared light source if the images captured by the capturing device are indicative that said object does not continue to occupy the surveillance area.

17. A method according to claim 2, wherein it also comprises disconnecting the power supply of at least part of the detection system if the images captured are indicative that said object does not continue to occupy the surveillance area.

3. A method for improving the monitoring of the external environment of a motor vehicle, of the type which comprises using a detection system adapted for detecting the presence of objects which are susceptible to collide with the mentioned vehicle, in a determined surveillance area, covering at least one blind spot, said system comprising at least one capturing device suitable for acquiring images representative of one or more objects located within said surveillance area, and an electronic system comprising at least one system for processing and analyzing input signals obtained by means of said at least one capturing device, and which generates output signals according to the result of said analysis, said method comprising:

detecting, by means of said at least one capturing device and said electronic system, that an object has entered said surveillance area,

activating at least one of said output signals indicative of said detection, and keeping it activated while said detection is maintained,

automatically activating an infrared light source to emit infrared light towards the surveillance area to be covered by the capturing device when the images acquired by said capturing device don'"'"'t make possible a processing and an analysis providing a result that would reliably detect a determined object,

checking if, with said infrared light source activated, the capturing device captures images and if such images are indicative that said object continues to occupy the surveillance area, and if this is not the case at least deactivating said output signal indicative of said detection, and

deactivating, also automatically, said infrared light source when the electronic system determines, after processing and analyzing the images acquired by the capturing device, that a determined object in said surveillance area can be reliably detected without the need for infrared light.

16. A method according to claim 3, wherein it also comprises deactivating said infrared light source if the images captured by the capturing device are indicative that said object does not continue to occupy the surveillance area.

18. A method according to claim 3, wherein it also comprises disconnecting the power supply of at least part of the detection system if the images captured are indicative that said object does not continue to occupy the surveillance area.

7. A system for improving the monitoring of the external environment of a motor vehicle adapted for detecting the presence of objects which are susceptible to collide with the mentioned vehicle, in a determined surveillance area, covering at least one blind spot, said system comprising at least one capturing device suitable for acquiring images representative of one or more objects located within said surveillance area, and an electronic system with at least one system for processing and analyzing input signals obtained by means of said at least one capturing device, and which generates output signals according to the result of said analysis, said system wherein it further comprises a module formed by at least one infrared light source and one controlled activation unit for said infrared light source, controlling different operating cycles of said infrared light source according to at least the visibility conditions of said capturing device, said controlled activation unit collaborating with said electronic system for automatically activating said infrared light source according to the result of said processing and analyzing of said input signals.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said controlled activation unit for said infrared light source is adapted for activating said infrared light source when the detection system stops detecting said object.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein said controlled activation unit for said infrared light source is adapted for activating said infrared light source when the images acquired by said capturing device don'"'"'t make possible a processing and an analysis providing a result that would reliably detect a determined object.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein it further comprises detection means for detecting the activation of at least one turn signal of the vehicle, associated and in collaboration with said controlled activation unit for activating said infrared light source also according to the detection of the activation of said at least one turn signal.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein said controlled activation unit for said infrared light source is adapted for deactivating, also automatically, said infrared light source when the electronic system determines, after processing and analyzing the images acquired by the capturing device, that a determined object in said surveillance area can be reliably detected without the need for infrared light.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein said system for processing and analyzing is adapted for providing a result that cannot reliably detect a determined object when the images acquired by said capturing device have a contrast that is under a determined threshold.

13. A system according to claim 7, wherein it is adapted to operate in poor visibility driving conditions.

14. A system according to claim 7, wherein it is adapted to operate in nighttime driving conditions.

19. A system according to claim 10, wherein said controlled activation unit for said infrared light source is adapted for deactivating, also automatically, said infrared light source when the electronic system determines, after processing and analyzing the images acquired by the capturing device, that a determined object in said surveillance area can be reliably detected without the need for infrared light.