Moisture sensor and windshield fog detector

• US 7,199,346 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Roberts, John K., Stam, Joseph S., Bechtel, Jon H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Stephone B.
• Application Number:
  US11/231,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20060065821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/227.25, 250/574, 180/167, 15D/IG.15, 318/44, 318/483, 318/DIG.2, 340/601, 340/602, 340/901
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0833 Optical rain sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0885 the sensor being integrated in a rear-view mirror module
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0888 characterized by the attachment of the elements in a unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20056 Discrete and fast Fourier transform, [DFT, FFT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30252 Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/42 using transform domain methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/15 Moisture responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 318/02 Windshield wiper controls

Abstract

A control system is disclosed for automatically detecting moisture on the windshield of a vehicle. The automatic moisture detecting system includes an optical system for imaging a portion of the windshield onto an image array sensor, such as a CMOS active pixel sensor. The voltage of each of the pixels which represents the illumination level is converted to a corresponding gray scale value by an analog digital converter. The spatial frequency composition of the gray scale values are analyzed to determine the amount of rain present in order to provide a control signal to control the operation of the windshield wipers of the vehicle as a function of the amount of moisture present. The system is also adapted to detect the level of fog both on the interior of the windshield as well as the exterior of the windshield.

Claims

1. A fog detection system for detecting fog on a vehicle windshield, said system comprising:

an image sensor;

an optical system operative to image at least a portion of the surface of the windshield onto the image sensor;

an illumination device for illuminating an area within the at least one portion of the windshield surface, said optical system and illumination device configured to image reflections caused by fog on the inside and outside of the windshield in a different positions on said image sensor; and

a processing system in communication with the image sensor and operative to analyze images from the image sensor to determine whether there is fog on the inside or outside of the windshield based upon the spatial position of the imaged reflections on said image sensor.

2. The fog detection system of claim 1, wherein said processing system activates the windshield defroster when fog is detected on the inside surface of the windshield.

3. The fog detection system of claim 1, wherein said processing system activates the windshield wipers when fog is detected on the outside surface of the windshield.

4. A fog detection system for detecting fog on a vehicle windshield, said system comprising:

an image sensor;

an optical system operative to image at least a portion of the surface of the windshield onto the image sensor;

an illumination device for selectively illuminating an area within the at least one portion of the windshield surface; and

a processing system in communication with the image sensor and said illumination device and operative to selectively activate and deactivate said illumination device and to analyze and compare images from the image sensor when said illumination device is activated and deactivated to detect fog on the windshield.

5. A windshield wiper control system for a vehicle comprising:

an image sensor;

an optical system operative to image at least a portion of the surface of the windshield onto the image sensor, said optical system is further operative to blur distant objects in the imaged scene while sharply focusing objects on the windshield; and

a processing system in communication with the image sensor and operative to analyze images from the image sensor to detect moisture on the windshield and to activate the windshield wipers when moisture is detected.

6. The system of claim 5 and further including a rearview mirror assembly adapted for attaching to a vehicle, wherein said image sensor is supported by said rearview mirror assembly.

7. The system of claim 5 and further including a rearview mirror assembly adapted for attaching to a vehicle, wherein at least a portion of said processing system is supported by said rearview mirror assembly.

8. The system of claim 5 and further including an illuminator for providing supplemental illumination across substantially all of the imaged portion of the windshield surface.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said processing system further operative to detect operation of a windshield wiper and to obtain a baseline image of the windshield immediately after it has been wiped by the windshield wiper, said processing system utilizing the baseline image to distinguish moisture from bugs, cracks, dirt, and other debris on the windshield.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein said image sensor is mounted in said vehicle such that said imaging surface is inclined with respect to vertical.

11. A windshield wiper control system for a vehicle comprising:

an image sensor;

an optical system operative to image at least a portion of the surface of the windshield onto the image sensor;

an illuminator for providing supplemental illumination across substantially all of the imaged portion of the windshield surface; and

a processing system in communication with the image sensor and the illuminator and operative to analyze images from the image sensor to detect moisture on the windshield and to activate the windshield wipers when moisture is detected.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said illuminator emits infrared radiation.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said processing system detects an ambient light level and activates said illuminator when the ambient light level falls below a threshold level.

14. The system of claim 11 and further including a rearview mirror assembly adapted for attaching to a vehicle, wherein said image sensor is supported by said rearview mirror assembly.

15. The system of claim 11 and further including a rearview mirror assembly adapted for attaching to a vehicle, wherein at least a portion of said processing system is supported by said rearview mirror assembly.

16. A windshield wiper control system for a vehicle comprising:

an image sensor;

an optical system operative to image at least a portion of the surface of the windshield onto the image sensor; and

a processing system in communication with the image sensor and operative to analyze images from the image sensor to detect moisture on the windshield and to activate the windshield wipers when moisture is detected, said processing system is further operative to detect operation of a windshield wiper and to obtain a baseline image of the windshield immediately after it has been wiped by the windshield wiper, said processing system utilizing the baseline image to distinguish moisture from bugs, cracks, dirt, and other debris on the windshield.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein, when moisture is detected and a windshield wiper is not detected, said processing system generates a control signal to suspend operation of the windshield wiper.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said processing system generates the control signal to suspend operation of the windshield wiper if said processing system does not detect the presence of the wiper within a predetermined time period.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said processing system detects the presence of the windshield wiper by determining if a plurality of high frequency components in the direction of wiper travel through the imaged portion of the surface is greater than a plurality of high frequency components in a direction normal to the direction of wiper travel through the imaged portion of the surface.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said processing system compares images from said image sensor with those analyzed immediately following detection of the windshield wiper to determine whether the images are different.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said processing system generates a control signal to deactivate the windshield wiper if said processing system determines that the compared images are not different.

22. The system of claim 16 and further comprising a user interface for allowing a user to adjust the sensitivity of said processing system to moisture when activating the windshield wipers.

23. The system of claim 16 and further including a rearview mirror assembly adapted for attaching to a vehicle, wherein said image sensor is supported by said rearview mirror assembly.

24. The system of claim 16 and further including a rearview mirror assembly adapted for attaching to a vehicle, wherein at least a portion of said processing system is supported by said rearview mirror assembly.