IMAGING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE

• US 20120140078A1
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Higgins-Luthman, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/402 Image calibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• 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 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An imaging system for a vehicle includes an imaging array sensor and a control. The imaging array sensor is disposed at least partially within an exterior rearview mirror assembly that is attached at a side of a vehicle. The field of view of the imaging array sensor encompasses at least one of a rearward field of view, a sideward field of view and a forward field of view. The control may utilize edge detection in processing captured image data. Responsive at least in part to processing of captured image data by the control, the control determines an object of interest present in the field of view of the imaging array sensor. A portion of the equipped vehicle is present in the field of view of the imaging array sensor and the control may be operable to determine that the portion of the equipped vehicle is not an object of interest.

Claims

1. An imaging system for a vehicle, said imaging system comprising:

an imaging array device comprising a plurality of photo-sensing pixels, wherein said imaging array device is disposed at least partially within an exterior rearview mirror assembly that is attached at a side of a vehicle equipped with said imaging system, and wherein said imaging array device has a field of view exteriorly of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said imaging array device is operable to capture image data;

wherein said imaging array device comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor;

wherein the field of view of said imaging array device encompasses at least one of (a) a rearward field of view at least partially rearward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly, (b) a sideward field of view at least partially sideward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly and (c) a forward field of view at least partially forward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly;

a control for processing captured image data;

wherein said control utilizes edge detection in processing captured image data;

wherein, responsive at least in part to said processing of captured image data by said control, said control determines an object of interest present in the field of view of said imaging array device;

wherein, in determining an object of interest present in the field of view of said imaging array device, detected edges that are not indicative of an object of interest are at least substantially ignored in order to at least one of (a) reduce processing requirements and (b) reduce false signals; and

wherein a portion of the equipped vehicle is present in the field of view of said imaging array device and wherein said control is operable to determine that said portion of the equipped vehicle is not an object of interest.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable in a daytime mode and a nighttime mode.

3. The imaging system of claim 2, wherein said control is operable to switch between said daytime mode and said nighttime mode in response to an ambient light level at the equipped vehicle.

4. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said control reduces captured image data to a reduced data set of said image data, said control processing said reduced data set to extract information from said reduced data set.

5. The imaging system of claim 4, wherein said reduced data set is representative of a target zone that is encompassed by the field of view of said imaging array device and that is not inclusive of said portion of the equipped vehicle.

6. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein, in determining an object of interest present in the field of view of said imaging array device, an algorithmically executed filter is utilized that at least substantially ignores detected edges that are not indicative of an object of interest in order to at least one of (a) reduce processing requirements and (b) reduce false signals.

7. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said control algorithmically processes captured image data to a reduced data set, said control processing said reduced data set to extract information from said reduced data set, and wherein said reduced data set is representative of a target zone that is not inclusive of said portion of the equipped vehicle.

8. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable to alert the driver of the equipped vehicle that an object of interest is determined to be present in the field of view of said imaging array device.

9. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the field of view of said imaging array device encompasses a sideward field of view at least partially sideward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly at the side of the equipped vehicle.

10. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein said control is operable to alert the driver of the equipped vehicle that an object of interest is determined to be present at the side of the equipped vehicle in response to at least one of (a) the driver of the equipped vehicle actuating a turn signal toward the side of the equipped vehicle at which the object of interest is determined to be present, and (b) the driver of the equipped vehicle steering the equipped vehicle toward the side of the equipped vehicle at which the object of interest is determined to be present.

11. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said imaging array device has a field of view at least partially sideward of the equipped vehicle, said imaging system comprising a side object detection system for determining that an object of interest is present at a side of the equipped vehicle.

12. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said portion of the equipped vehicle comprises at least a portion of the side of the equipped vehicle at which said exterior rearview mirror assembly is attached.

13. The imaging system of claim 12, wherein said field of view encompasses a structure at the side portion of the vehicle.

14. An imaging system for a vehicle, said imaging system comprising:

an imaging array device comprising a plurality of photo-sensing pixels, wherein said imaging array device is disposed at least partially within an exterior rearview mirror assembly that is attached at a side of a vehicle equipped with said imaging system, and wherein said imaging array device has a field of view exteriorly of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said imaging array device is operable to capture image data;

wherein said imaging array device comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor;

wherein the field of view of said imaging array device encompasses (a) a rearward field of view at least partially rearward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly, (b) a sideward field of view at least partially sideward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly and (c) a forward field of view at least partially forward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly;

a control for processing captured image data;

wherein said control utilizes edge detection in processing captured image data;

wherein, responsive at least in part to said processing of captured image data by said control, said control determines an object of interest present in the field of view of said imaging array device;

wherein, in determining an object of interest present in the field of view of said imaging array device, captured image data that is not indicative of an object of interest is at least substantially ignored in order to at least one of (a) reduce processing requirements and (b) reduce false signals; and

wherein a portion of the equipped vehicle is present in the field of view of said imaging array device and wherein said control is operable to determine that said portion of the equipped vehicle is not an object of interest.

15. The imaging system of claim 14, wherein, in determining an object of interest present in the field of view of said imaging array device, an algorithmically executed filter is utilized that at least substantially ignores detected edges that are not indicative of an object of interest in order to at least one of (a) reduce processing requirements and (b) reduce false signals.

16. The imaging system of claim 14, wherein said control is operable in a daytime mode and a nighttime mode, and wherein said control is operable to switch between said daytime mode and said nighttime mode in response to an ambient light level at the equipped vehicle.

17. The imaging system of claim 14, wherein said control reduces captured image data to a reduced data set of said image data, said control processing said reduced data set to extract information from said reduced data set, and wherein said reduced data set is representative of a target zone that is encompassed by the field of view of said imaging array device and that is not inclusive of said portion of the equipped vehicle.

18. The imaging system of claim 14, wherein said control is operable to alert the driver of the equipped vehicle that an object of interest is determined to be present at the side of the equipped vehicle in response to at least one of (a) the driver of the equipped vehicle actuating a turn signal toward the side of the equipped vehicle at which the object of interest is determined to be present, and (b) the driver of the equipped vehicle steering the equipped vehicle toward the side of the equipped vehicle at which the object of interest is determined to be present.

19. An imaging system for a vehicle, said imaging system comprising:

an imaging array device comprising a plurality of photo-sensing pixels, wherein said imaging array device is disposed at least partially within an exterior rearview mirror assembly that is attached at a side of a vehicle equipped with said imaging system, and wherein said imaging array device has a field of view exteriorly of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said imaging array device is operable to capture image data;

wherein said imaging array device comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor;

wherein the field of view of said imaging array device encompasses at least one of (a) a rearward field of view at least partially rearward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly, (b) a sideward field of view at least partially sideward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly and (c) a forward field of view at least partially forward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly;

a control for processing captured image data;

wherein said control utilizes edge detection in processing captured image data;

wherein, responsive at least in part to said processing of captured image data by said control, said control determines an object of interest present in the field of view of said imaging array device;

wherein, in determining an object of interest present in the field of view of said imaging array device, an algorithmically executed filter is utilized to at least one of (a) reduce processing requirements and (b) reduce false signals;

wherein a portion of the equipped vehicle is present in the field of view of said imaging array device; and

wherein said control reduces captured image data to a reduced data set of said image data, said control processing said reduced data set to extract information from said reduced data set, and wherein said reduced data set is representative of a target zone that is encompassed by the field of view of said imaging array device and that is not inclusive of said portion of the equipped vehicle.

20. The imaging system of claim 19, wherein, in determining an object of interest present in the field of view of said imaging array device, an algorithmically executed filter is utilized that at least substantially ignores detected edges that are not indicative of an object of interest in order to at least one of (a) reduce processing requirements and (b) reduce false signals.

21. The imaging system of claim 19, wherein the field of view of said imaging array device encompasses (a) a rearward field of view at least partially rearward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly, (b) a sideward field of view at least partially sideward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly and (c) a forward field of view at least partially forward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly.

22. The imaging system of claim 19, wherein said control is operable to determine that said portion of the equipped vehicle is not an object of interest.

23. The imaging system of claim 19, wherein said control is operable to alert the driver of the equipped vehicle that an object of interest is determined to be present at the side of the equipped vehicle in response to at least one of (a) the driver of the equipped vehicle actuating a turn signal toward the side of the equipped vehicle at which the object of interest is determined to be present, and (b) the driver of the equipped vehicle steering the equipped vehicle toward the side of the equipped vehicle at which the object of interest is determined to be present.

24. An imaging system for a vehicle, said imaging system comprising:

an imaging array device comprising a plurality of photo-sensing pixels, wherein said imaging array device is disposed at least partially within an exterior rearview mirror assembly that is attached at a side of a vehicle equipped with said imaging system, and wherein said imaging array device has a field of view exteriorly of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said imaging array device is operable to capture image data;

wherein said imaging array device comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor;

wherein the field of view of said imaging array device encompasses at least one of (a) a rearward field of view at least partially rearward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly, (b) a sideward field of view at least partially sideward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly and (c) a forward field of view at least partially forward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly;

wherein said imaging array device has a field of view that encompasses a portion of the equipped vehicle at the side of the equipped vehicle at which said exterior rearview mirror assembly is attached;

a control for processing captured image data;

wherein, responsive at least in part to said processing of captured image data by said control, said control determines an object of interest present in the field of view of said imaging array device;

wherein, in determining an object of interest present in the field of view of said imaging array device, captured image data that is not indicative of an object of interest is at least substantially ignored in order to reduce false signals; and

wherein said control algorithmically processes captured image data to a reduced data set, said control processing said reduced data set to extract information from said reduced data set, and wherein said reduced data set is representative of a target zone that is not inclusive of said portion of the equipped vehicle.

25. The imaging system of claim 24, wherein said control utilizes edge detection in processing captured image data.

26. The imaging system of claim 25, wherein detected edges that are not indicative of an object of interest are at least substantially ignored in order to reduce false signals.

27. The imaging system of claim 24, wherein said portion of the equipped vehicle comprises at least a portion of the side of the equipped vehicle at which said exterior rearview mirror assembly is attached.

28. The imaging system of claim 27, wherein said field of view encompasses a structure at the side portion of the vehicle.

29. The imaging system of claim 24, wherein said control is operable to determine that said portion of the equipped vehicle is not an object of interest.

30. The imaging system of claim 24, wherein the field of view of said imaging array device encompasses (a) a rearward field of view at least partially rearward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly, (b) a sideward field of view at least partially sideward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly and (c) a forward field of view at least partially forward of the exterior rearview mirror assembly.